The Guardian highlights shortage of anaesthetists and State of the Nation report

The Guardian has published an exclusive article on the RCoA’s recent State of the Nation report and its key findings, emphasising the pressures facing anaesthetic services. 

The media outlet points out that up to 1.5 million operations and procedures are unable to take place each year due to a chronic shortage of anaesthetists. It also noted the severe impact the shortage of anaesthetists is having on patients and NHS performance, workforce pressures, and how anaesthetists are essential to tackling waiting lists. 

The RCoA's 2026 UK State of the Nation report highlights a UK-wide workforce shortfall of around 2,250 anaesthetists - 16% below what is needed - which is having a major impact on the NHS’s ability to provide patient services.

The report demonstrates action is desperately needed to train more anaesthetists, as NHS waiting lists remain at near-record levels, with 7.1 million in England, 570,000 in Scotland, 530,000 in Wales and 440,000 in Northern Ireland and many of those are waiting for an operation.  Not only are patients facing delayed operations, 53% also reported that women in labour were sometimes delayed from getting pain relief in their hospitals due to lack of anaesthetists.  

There are currently thousands of doctors who want to train as anaesthetists but there aren’t enough funded training places for them to go to. Last year there were 6,770 applications for just 539 core anaesthetic training places.

The report also sets out steps that could be taken to retain the anaesthetists we already have.

Read the full State of the Nation report here.