A new report from the King’s Fund, commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing, has called for urgent action to improve the working conditions of nurses and midwives.
The report found that staff stress, absenteeism, and staff turnover had reached alarmingly high levels within the profession which have since been exacerbated by the global pandemic. Specific concerns included chronic excessive workload, inadequate working conditions, staff burnout, and inequalities, particularly among minority ethnic groups.
The report suggests that working condition have a significant impact on how long people stay working for the NHS, with around a quarter of nurses and health visitors joining the NHS leaving within three years of starting.
Full story in Nursing Notes, 23 September 2020