Normalisation of deviance: a safety issue not a human resources issue (18 July 2026)

Summary

In this Nursing Times, Elaine Maxwell article argues that “normalisation of deviance” — the gradual drift away from safe, established clinical practices — is not a problem of poor values or individual misconduct but a predictable consequence of health systems under severe strain. Drawing on recent inquiries, including Muckamore Abbey Hospital and Nottingham maternity services, she discusses how chronic understaffing, rising patient acuity, inadequate oversight, and lack of feedback force staff into workarounds that eventually become routine, even when harmful.