Is a severe staffing crisis the biggest barrier to tackling the backlog caused by the pandemic? A recent report suggests the NHS is short of nearly a hundred thousand workers and that existing staff were feeling under pressure and could quit unless the issue is resolved.

But has the pandemic only exacerbated an historic workforce crisis? And if so, what radical solutions are needed to plug the gap and help train and retain doctors, nurses and other frontline staff?

In this episode, presenter Natasha Loder assesses the scale of the workforce crisis by speaking to staff, managers, policy experts, and the patients who have been affected. Show less