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Showing results for tags 'Stress'.
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Content ArticleBehind the outcry about waiting times lies the anxiety that our cherished GP system will, in the words of one Gloucester doctor, ‘soon reach a threshold where there is a collapse’. We witness life on the frontline in this Guardian article.
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Content ArticleA survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund has found that a majority of primary care doctors in the US and other high-income countries say they are burned out and stressed, and many feel the pandemic has negatively impacted the quality of care they provide. This article presents the survey results in the form of graphs with a commentary, and you can also download data from the survey.
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Content ArticleThis BMJ Practice Pointer discusses how we can support our colleagues with their mental health.
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News Article
Fear and trauma - the long waits for cancer care
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
There has been a sharp rise in long waits for cancer therapy in the past four years, BBC analysis shows. The number waiting more than the 62-day target time for therapy in the past year has topped 67,000 across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland - twice as many as the same period in 2017-18. Waits are also getting worse in Wales, but data does not go that far back. The national cancer director for the NHS in England said staff were striving to catch up on the backlog of care, but experts warned the problems could be putting patients at risk. Steven McIntosh, of Macmillan Cancer Support, told the BBC that the delays were "traumatic" and people were living "day-by-day with fear and anxiety". He said the situation was "unacceptable" and could even be having an impact on the chances of survival. Describing the NHS as "chronically short-staffed", he said: "The NHS doesn't have the staff it needs to diagnose cancer, to deliver surgery and treatment, to provide care, support and rehabilitation." Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 November 2022 -
Content ArticleThis editorial in BMJ Quality & Safety examines literature that looks at the negative side effects of quality improvement (QI) approaches and initiatives, arguing that QI can contribute to staff burnout, stress and reduced engagement. The authors make a number of recommendations for avoiding the negative side effects of QI.
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Content Article
Psychological safety Padlet board
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Culture
Psychological safety refers to creating and maintaining an environment in which members of a team feel able to speak up without fear of negative consequences. It allows healthcare professionals to take the interpersonal risks needed to engage in effective teamwork and to maintain patient safety. This Padlet board set up by Becky Thomas is a place to post resources and articles related to promoting psychological safety. -
Content ArticleA toxic organisational culture has been shown to contribute more to staff leaving and reporting ill health, than pay and other factors. In this blog, Brandi Neal, Director of Content Creation & Marketing at the consultancy Radical Candor, looks at three traits of a toxic company culture: obnoxious aggression, ruinous empathy and manipulative insincerity. She highlights the value of the radical candor approach, which involves caring personally for staff while challenging them directly, and building genuine relationships with your team,
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Content ArticleThis Health and Social Care Select Committee report examines the pressure currently facing general practice, which is leading to low morale, GPs leaving the profession and problems recruiting new GPs. In turn, patients are increasingly dissatisfied with the level of access they receive. The root cause of the situation is that there are not enough GPs to meet the ever-increasing demands on the service, coupled with patients presenting with increasing complexity due to an ageing population. The report outlines the Committee's assessment of the key issues, including the problems with reliance on locum doctors and lack of continuity of care, and outlines what the Government should do to equip general practice for the future.
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Content ArticleTalking General Practice speaks to Dr Helen Garr, medical director of NHS Practitioner Health, the NHS service that looks after doctors and dentists - and also other NHS staff - who are experiencing mental ill health. In this conversation, Helen talk about the impact that pressures on the NHS are having on doctors’ wellbeing and how this is affecting GPs in particular. Helen also explains what doctors and other NHS staff can do if they are suffering from burnout, how to prevent burnout, what people can do if they are worried about a colleague and how NHS Practitioner Health supports doctors who seek help from the service. She also outlines how she thinks the NHS could change to help ensure better mental health for doctors and other staff.
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Content Article
In this blog for the hub, Julia Wood explains why Joy in Work is so important, how you can implement it into your team ensuring you and your colleagues are happier at work, and why a happier team will improve patient care. -
News ArticleA study of over 1,000 health and social care workers, conducted by Florence, the tech platform providing health & social care workers access to available shifts, found that almost a third of healthcare workers admit to feeling overwhelmed at least once a week, with 17% feeling burnt-out every day. A staggering 97% believe the cost-of-living crisis has caused further stress or burnout among healthcare professionals. It comes after more than half of healthcare workers (56%) admit to working more than 2-3 times a week over their contracted hours, with 7% working overtime every day. Not having enough staff is causing the most pressure in their role (50%), followed by low pay (39%) and high workload (35%). The study revealed nine in ten NHS and social care workers state chronic staff shortages are affecting the quality of care. Analysing this deeper, three quarters of respondents stated that the quality of care is already being ‘severely’ impacted as high vacancy rates sweep across the industry. Dr Charles Armitage, Former NHS doctor and CEO and Founder of Florence, observed: “If you’ve got fewer people there on-shift to look after people, the quality of care decreases because the people that are there are overstretched, they’re trying to do too many things and are suffering from severe burnout. As a result, mistakes are made as they’re not able to just spend as much time with people and provide that really important patient-centred care.” Read full story Source: Hospital Times, 17 August 2022
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News ArticleMidwife numbers are reaching a dangerous level which could put lives at risk, as records show more staff leaving than joining the profession for the first time in a decade. As a record number suffer burnout and leave, the figures from NHS Digital for 2021/22 show almost 300 more staff abandoned midwifery than joined the service, with 3,440 leaving and only 3,144 coming in. Analysis of the data showed a record 551 resigned in 2021 because of a lack of work-life balance. Midwives working in NHS trust maternity units typically work 12-hour shifts, but many work longer for no additional pay to cover staff shortages and to keep services running. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says members are "at the end of their tether' and 'physically and emotionally burnt out" Joeli Brearley, chief executive of campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, said: "We don't have enough midwives, and those we do have are underpaid, undervalued and overworked." "This is a problem that has been communicated to the Government repeatedly for years. It is putting the lives of women and their babies in danger and causing untold damage to their mental and physical health. The Government needs to get a grip of the situation urgently before there are more tragedies." Read full story Source: Daily Mail, 1 August 2022 .
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Content ArticleThis blog by the charity Picker explores concerns about the safety of staffing levels in the NHS, highlighted by the 2021 NHS Staff Survey. It talks about the potential impact of a recent drop in staff morale. The blog draws out these key findings from the survey: The proportion of staff who felt unwell as a result of work-related stress in the last 12 months rose to 46% – almost half. This was an increase of nearly 3% from the 2020 figure (44%) and continued a trend: the figure has risen each year since 2017, when 38% of staff reported work-related stress. Almost one-in-three staff members say they “often think about leaving” their organisation – an increase of 4% points vs the 26% recorded in 2020. And one-in-six (16%) say they will leave their organisation “as soon as I can find another job” – a 2% point increase from 2020. Only 52% of NHS staff say that they look forward to going to work – a decline of more than 6% points from 58% in 2020. New questions in the survey suggest that many staff are experiencing burnout. Overall, more than a third of staff (34%) said that they ‘always’ or ‘often’ “feel burnt out because of [their] work”. The proportion was even higher for staff in patient facing roles (for example, 41% of registered nurses and midwives) and especially for ambulance personnel (51%).
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Content ArticleReducing stress is an organisational imperative since workplace pressures continue to be one of the main causes of short and long-term absence. According to research undertaken by CIPD based on responses from 804 organisations, 79% of respondents report some stress-related absence in their organisation over the last year. Healthcare settings have an even higher rate of absence due to stress, yet there is reason to be optimistic that this could start to change when a new policy from NHS England is implemented, which recommends the use of After Action Review (AAR). In this blog, Judy Walker explains how AARs can play a key role in reducing stress for those who have been involved in clinical incidents.
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Content ArticleHuman error is as old as humankind itself and widely recognised as a significant cause of mistakes. Much of the research in this area has originated from high-risk organisations (HROs), including commercial aviation, where even simple mistakes can be catastrophic. A failure to understand and recognise how Human Factors (HF), especially those that affect performance and team working, can contribute or lead to serious medical error is still widespread across healthcare. Sadly, this commonly occurs in the operating theatre, one of the most dangerous places in hospital. While attitudes and acceptance of pre-surgery briefings has improved using the World Health Service (WHO) Surgical Checklist, this does not address other 'personal' factors that can lead to error, including stress, fatigue, emotional status, hunger and situational awareness. Following initial work around HF perception amongst operating theatre teams, Peter Brennan's (student at the University of Portsmouth) research has lead to significant delivery changes to the high stakes Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examination, taken by up tp 6,500 junior doctors per year. After recognising boredom and fatigue in examiners, further published studies found an improvement in examiner morale with no significant changes in exam reliability or overall candidate outcome. These changes have improved patient safety at a National level. Other high stakes National Events have been evaluated where repetitive assessment occurs during long days, providing reassurance to organisers and the General Medical Council. 28 HF-related publications have been included in this work, including several reviews of important personal factors that affect performance and how these can be optimised at work.
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Content ArticleSince the Covid-19 pandemic, staff shortages have worsened in health systems around the world, with an increasing number of healthcare workers leaving the workforce coinciding with increased patient demand. In this blog, Jens Hooiveld, International Marketing Manager at the Patient Safety Company, examines the patient safety issues caused by staffing shortages. He highlights tools that can help nurses manage patient safety in this pressured climate by decreasing the burden of admin associated with reporting adverse incidents.
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News Article
USA: Job burnout threatens health care workforce
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The U.S. is facing high levels of burnout among health care workers, which could lead to serious shortcomings in patient care, a new report from the U.S. Surgeon General has found. Burnout among health care workers was a serious problem even before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the stress caused by the ongoing pandemic has made things much worse, said Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “The pandemic has accelerated the mental health and burnout crisis that is now affecting not only health workers, but the communities they serve,” Murthy said. “Already, Americans are feeling the impact of staffing shortages across the health system in hospitals, primary care clinics, and public health departments. As the burnout and mental health crisis among health workers worsens, this will affect the public’s ability to get routine preventive care, emergency care, and medical procedures. It will make it harder for our nation to ensure we are ready for the next public health emergency. Health disparities will worsen as those who have always been marginalized suffer more in a world where care is scarce. Costs will continue to rise.” The report calls for several steps to address the burdens on health care workers. These include: Protecting the health, safety, and well-being of all health workers by ensuring they have proper equipment, training, and are protected against workplace violence. Eliminating punitive policies for seeking mental health and substance abuse care. Reducing administrative and documentation burdens and improving health information technology and payment models. Prioritising health worker well-being on an organizational level—this includes providing competitive wages, paid sick and family leave, rest breaks, educational debt support, and other steps to ease the burden on health workers. Read full story Source: BenefitsPro, 6 June 2022 -
Content ArticleThe realities of our healthcare system are driving many health workers to burnout. They are at an increased risk for mental health challenges and choosing to leave the health workforce early. They work in distressing environments that strain their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. This will make it harder for patients to get care when they need it. The USA is facing high levels of burnout among health care workers, which could lead to serious shortcomings in patient care, a new report from the U.S. Surgeon General has found.
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News Article
Trainee doctors in ‘meltdown’ at major hospital maternity department
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Regulators have raised serious concerns over trainee doctors within the maternity department at one of the largest trusts in the country. The NHS’ training regulator said it had concerns over the treatment of trainee doctors within the obstetric and gynaecology department at University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust, while some medics report being in ‘meltdown’. Reviewers raised an incident where a consultant had refused to respond to an obstetric emergency in A&E which had been requested by a junior doctor. “The panel unanimously agreed that Consultant presence was required without delay,” the report added. The latest review follows concerns in November 2020 and June 2021 when patient safety issues were also identified. It warned there was a “real risk” trainees would soon become “hesitant and reluctant” to call for consultant support when need. Read full story Source: The Independent, 5 June 2022 -
News Article
Nurses reveal shocking abuse from patients as backlog rises
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Nurses have spoken of the shocking abuse they face from patients as the NHS struggles to cope with a rise in demand for care. Both patients and staff are becoming increasingly frustrated with the situation the NHS is in, with staff shortages and a patient backlog of six million people causing already stretched services extra strain. "As we are the faces that the public see we do get the brunt of a lot of their anger as they are becoming increasingly frustrated with the situation that the NHS is in," one nurse wrote on Nursing Standard’s Facebook page. "Staff are equally frustrated with the whole situation and knackered from working long hours and covering for the many staff still absent." Nurses given the task of conveying ‘unwelcome messages about the limitations of resources’ Another said: "Working in an ED abuse occurs on a daily basis… it is not acceptable but even when you Datix these incidents nothing gets done, staff are reduced to tears and frightened to walk into patient waiting areas, it is not acceptable." It comes as former chief inspector of social services Lord Herbert Laming accused health service managers of putting nursing staff in the public firing line during a House of Lords debate on reducing abuse of nurses in the NHS. Read full story Source: 12 April 2022, Nursing Standard -
News Article
Nurses’ well-being: ‘burnout’ too gentle a term for mental distress
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Burnout is not a strong enough term to describe the severe mental distress nurses and other NHS staff are experiencing, says a doctor who has led efforts to improve care for health professionals. Medical director of the NHS Practitioner Health service Dame Clare Gerada told MPs radical action was needed to improve the mental well-being of NHS staff. She said nurses and other healthcare staff should be entitled to one hour of paid reflective time per month to be written into NHS employees’ contracts, alongside mentoring, careers advice and leadership training built in throughout people’s careers. Dr Gerada was among senior clinicians who gave evidence this week to the Health and Social Care Committee, which is looking at issues around recruitment and retention of staff. She told the committee the term ‘burnout’ simply did not cover the level of stress and mental anguish experienced by NHS workers. ‘Burnout is too gentle a term for the mental distress that is going on amongst our workforce,’ she said. High suicide rates among nurses and doctors, high levels of bullying and staff being sacked because they have long-COVID are all signs the health service is failing to look after its employees, she said. ‘The symptoms we have got are the symptoms of an organisation that is unable to care for its workforce in the way that it should be caring,’ she said. Read full story Source: Nursing Standard, 25 March 2022 -
News Article
Over 80% of UK GPs think patients are at risk in their surgery, survey finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
More than 80% of GPs believe that patients are being put at risk when they come into their surgery for an appointment, a new survey shows. A poll of 1,395 GPs found only 13% said their practice was safe for patients all the time. Meanwhile, 85% expressed concerns about patient safety, with 2% saying patients were “rarely” safe, 22% saying they were safe “some of the time” and 61% saying they were safe “most of the time”. Asked if they thought the risk to patient safety was increasing in their surgery, 70% said it was. Family doctors identified lack of time with patients, workforce shortages, relentless workloads and heavy administrative burdens as the main reasons people receiving care could be exposed to risk. The survey, which was self-selecting, also found that: 91% said more GPs would help improve the state of general practices. 84% have had anxiety, stress or depression over the past year linked to their job. 31% know a colleague who was physically abused by a patient in the last year. 24% know of a member of general practice staff who has taken their own life due to work pressures. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 21 March 2022 -
Content ArticleEmployees—physicians and fast-food workers, teachers and hotel staff—are resigning in unprecedented numbers, often in distress. Managers are at a loss for how to respond. Attempts to address employee dissatisfaction and burnout with bonuses, mindfulness, and extra time off do not seem to be working well enough; employees continue to quit, sometimes angrily and dramatically, airing a range of grievances on social media. But what if the problem we typically call “burnout” is not just burnout? What if it is not the other “usual suspects”—depression or anxiety—either? What if it is something that may appear similar, but has a different cause and, if incorrectly addressed, can make individuals feel increasingly worse? Appropriately dealing with the epidemic of employee anguish and quitting requires correctly identifying its causes and using precise terminology to describe it. And while burnout is by far the most popular explanation of employee distress, in many cases, the problem might be a less known, but more insidious: moral injury.
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Content Article
Standing tall in the storm, a blog by Sally Howard
Sally Howard posted an article in Leadership for patient safety
We know the link between anxiety, stress, burnout and patient safety. This blog from Sally Howard suggests four things we can do to help us stand tall and continue to grow from strength to strength, both for ourselves and for our teams. -
Content ArticleThis blog for The Kings Fund looks at how chronic excessive workload is damaging staff health, patient care and healthcare workers' long-term ability to provide high-quality and compassionate care for people in their communities. The authors argue that the issue of excessive workload is the major barrier preventing improvements in patient satisfaction, staff retention, financial performance and care outcomes.
