Navigating complexity: moral distress among NHS chief executives (3 March 2026)

Summary

With financial constraints, record waiting lists and recent staff strikes, the role of being an NHS chief executive has arguably never been harder. But what impact is it having on those health service leaders? In recent months, Thea Stein has spoken to a number of NHS chief executives about the difficult choices they confront in their everyday work and the moral distress that may accompany those decisions. In this long read, Thea reveals what was said to her, and emphasises once more the importance of making the NHS a psychologically safe place to work.