NHS England survey reveals ‘alarming downturn’ in staff wellbeing

Two in five NHS staff in England felt sick from the stress of their job at some point last year, according to a survey.

The figure of 39.8% of staff feeling unwell as a result of work-related stress was the highest in five years. The NHS staff survey also found that increasing numbers of doctors, nurses and other personnel felt disillusioned, were working unpaid overtime and were thinking about quitting.

Experts said the results showed an “alarming downturn” in staff wellbeing that would inevitably damage the care patients received. They said more and more NHS staff were unable to cope with the strain caused by widespread understaffing, years of tight budgets and fast-growing demand for care.

Full Story: The Guardian, 26 February 2019