What difference have safe staffing policies made to hospitals in the NHS? (February 2020)

Summary

The Francis Inquiries in 2010 and 2013 highlighted nurse staffing as a patient safety factor contributing to the care failings identified at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust. The reports and government response led to the development of national ‘safe staffing’ policy. This two-year study by the University of Southampton and Bangor University examined the impact of safe staffing policies nationally and explored variation in local responses. The authors concluded that:

• Policies provided leverage and raised the profile of nursing workforce issues at board level, contributing to a willingness to invest in increasing nursing numbers. However, a lack of assessment of the likely scale of investment (and human resources) required nationally to achieve ‘safe staffing’ led to financial considerations becoming a barrier to achieving the policy vision.
• External pressures, such as lack of workforce supply and reduced access to temporary staffing, have constrained Trusts’ abilities to fully implement policies aimed at ensuring safe staffing on acute wards.