With the healthcare sector still reeling from the shock of the pandemic, the clinical laboratory staff shortage has grown increasingly prominent. If current trends continue, scarcity could surge within a few short years. 

The major implications of a laboratory technologist shortage

In unprecedented circumstances, clinical laboratory staff are critical to healthcare. COVID-19 is an excellent example of this, considering their work helped keep millions safe. In the United Kingdom, laboratory technicians have conducted over 522 million tests for COVID-19 as of 2022. Their work is essential for public health and safety, but their absence is prevalent.
 
Even though laboratory testing makes up a fraction of healthcare spending, it is fundamental to healthcare. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, professionals order well over 14 billion tests every year, guiding the medical decisions of 70% of patients. With their work, patients have more direction.
 
The major implications of the laboratory technologist shortage involve public health and safety. The U.K. needs these professionals to respond to unprecedented emergency situations and protect the well-being of the entire population.

The skill shortage has existed for decades

Even though the lack of skilled workers is a prevalent topic now, the issue operates on a much larger scale. In fact, the clinical laboratory staff shortage has existed for over three decades now, with the vacancy rate sitting at roughly 10% on average. Moreover, demand spikes have reached as high as 25% in some locations.
 
For many laboratory professionals, the long-standing shortage is common knowledge. After all, many have dealt with high workloads and long nights. Since it is such a deep-rooted issue, it requires in-depth, carefully thought-out solutions.

How will the laboratory technologist shortage evolve?

Skill scarcity is a global issue. In the U.S., the clinical laboratory staff shortage is at 24,000 openings as of 2022. Many countries and territories worldwide need help filling their facilities with well-trained professionals.
 
Work visas may not be able to supplement the workforce. Since the demand for clinical laboratory staff is high worldwide, filling open positions is much more challenging. Even if the U.K. offers fantastic incentives to foreign professionals, worldwide scarcity can make things difficult.
 
If this trend continues, it seems the skill shortage could continue to be an issue for the next three decades. Healthcare leaders must address scarcity to help the United Kingdom move forward. In the meantime, it might be necessary to leverage technology. Since artificial intelligence testing has a proven high processing rate, it could supplement manual labor.

Why is there a clinical laboratory staff shortage?

The prolonged laboratory technologist shortage is a multifaceted issue caused by factors in education, field visibility, compensation, and demand. Although it is currently a prevalent issue, it has existed for decades — meaning the root causes are somewhat ambiguous and convoluted.
 
Many experts agree laboratory technologists should be paid more. In the United Kingdom, their salary is roughly £35,000 per year on average, meaning the hourly pay is merely £8 above minimum wage. Factoring in the cost of education and the value of expertise, many professionals would say the position is underpaid.
 
Further, many agree their work should be more appreciated. Even though they are critical to healthcare, their field needs more visibility. Moreover, it is less prominent and respected than other career paths. These two factors cause low interest and entry rates, further compounding the laboratory technologist shortage.
 
Even those who wholeheartedly enjoy what they do often deal with intense workloads. Although 85.5% of clinical laboratory staff say they are passionate about their career, 85.3% admit they have experienced burnout at least once. Chronic stress and high turnover rates are common in healthcare, but they are especially high in this field.
 
Further compounding the issue, even well-equipped workplaces are cramped. Nearly 50% of life science organizations plan to expand their lab space by 2026 because they cannot accommodate the professionals they employ now. If the clinical laboratory staff shortage fixed itself tomorrow, it seems there would be no room for half of all new hires.
 
Various administrative barriers and exclusionary practices in education, registration, and training. Whether future laboratory technologists face insufficient funding or unpredictable workloads, an unnecessarily difficult process often increases disinterest.

Potential fixes for the clinical laboratory staff shortage

While the laboratory technologist shortage seems unfixable to some, many clear and feasible solutions exist. If industry leaders and policy makers strategize accordingly, they can fill open positions and fix the skill scarcity.
 
The laboratory technologist shortage has become increasingly severe throughout the entire U.K. As a result, the government is offering five-year skilled worker visas. While this is a sensible strategy, the automatic salary reduction, annual healthcare surcharge, application fee and benefit denial are not exactly the best perks — better ones could draw more applicants.
 
Since entry barriers are a significant cause of the shortage, they must be addressed. Healthcare organizations could eliminate a majority of them by making education more accessible, registration more straightforward and recruitment strategies more diverse.
 
Beyond making education and registration more accessible, increasing field visibility, and providing opportunities for professional growth is important. Some experts believe clinical laboratory professionals would be more incentivized to join if their career outlook improved.
 
As it stands, most solutions seem to focus on closing the skill gap rather than reinforcing the field against unpredictable demand spikes and a diminishing workforce. The fact that the clinical laboratory staff shortage has existed for decades is a sign that industry leaders focus far too much on temporary solutions for modern problems rather than on root causes.