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News Article
Trust ‘selectively targeted’ by workplace regulator after rise in work stress
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The national workplace regulator has told an ambulance trust to do more to tackle staff stress as part of a programme in which it is “selectively targeting” high-risk organisations. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspected East of England Ambulance Trust for the first time in September 2024, after the NHS Staff Survey showed an increase in work-related stress. East of England has had well-documented cultural issues over the past few years and has been ordered to make improvements by the Care Quality Commission and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. However, early last year it was released from NHS England’s special measures. The trust said the HSE identified a number of actions it should take, including: Implementing measures to reduce unplanned overtime at the end of shifts. Developing protocols to protect staff from exposure to abuse. Reviewing mandatory training and ensuring appropriate line management and clinical supervision are available. Updating its work-related stress risk assessment. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 19 May 2025 -
Community Post*Trigger warning. This post includes personal gynaecological experiences of a traumatic nature. What is your experience of having a hysteroscopy? We would like to hear - good or bad so that we can help campaign for safer, harm free care. You can read Patient Safety Learning's blog about improving hysteroscopy safety here. You'll need to be a hub member to comment below, it's quick and easy to do. You can sign up here.
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Content ArticleThis study investigated burnout and sources of stress related to the Covid-19 pandemic among a group of healthcare risk managers and patient safety practitioners. An online survey asked the open question, "Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, what work or non-work-related issues have been causing you the most stress?" The results showed that burnout and pandemic-related stress were very common in the healthcare risk management and patient safety workforce. Stressors included: the impacts of social distancing. changing duties and workload. real and potential impacts of the virus (for example, fear of infection for self or others). financial concerns (personal and organisational). untrustworthy and constantly changing guidance. feeling abused by persons in power. positive comments about the experience of working during the pandemic.
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Content ArticleThis guidance sheet developed by Alberta Health Services in Canada offers advice for people supporting healthcare staff who have been involved in serious adverse events. It also describes the impact these incidents can have on 'second victims'—staff involved in errors and patient safety incidents who may develop serious mental health impacts as a result of the experience.
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Event
A practical guide to Human Factors in healthcare
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
Aimed at Clinicians and Managers, this national virtual conference will provide a practical guide to human factors in healthcare, and how a human factors approach can improve patient care, quality, process, and safety. The conference delves into integrating human factors into healthcare systems and processes, clinical decision making, healthcare system design, quality of patient experience, medication safety, and workload, fatigue and stress management. Throughout the day there will be interactive sessions, small breakout groups, and collaborative exercises, fostering a dynamic learning experience. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/virtual-online-courses/a-practical-guide-to-human-factors-in-healthcare or email [email protected] hub members receive a 20% discount. Email [email protected] for discount code. Follow on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #HumanFactors -
Event
A practical guide to Human Factors in healthcare
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
Aimed at Clinicians and Managers, this national virtual conference will provide a practical guide to human factors in healthcare, and how a human factors approach can improve patient care, quality, process, and safety. The conference delves into integrating human factors into healthcare systems and processes, clinical decision making, healthcare system design, quality of patient experience, medication safety, and workload, fatigue, and stress management. Throughout the day, there will be interactive sessions, small breakout groups, and collaborative exercises, fostering a dynamic learning experience. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/virtual-online-courses/a-practical-guide-to-human-factors-in-healthcare or email [email protected] hub members receive a 20% discount. Email [email protected] for discount code. Follow on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #HumanFactors -
Content ArticleA study from Jackson et al. looked at how the prevalence of psychological distress in the adult population of England has changed since 2020. The study found that the proportion reporting any psychological distress was similar in December 2022 to that in April 2020 (an extremely difficult and uncertain moment of the COVID-19 pandemic), but the proportion reporting severe distress was 46% higher. These findings provide evidence of a growing mental health crisis in England and underscore an urgent need to address its cause and to adequately fund mental health services.
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Content ArticleThis is the 15th annual clinical radiology census report by The Royal College of Radiologists. The census received a 100% response rate, meaning this report presents a comprehensive picture of the clinical radiology workforce in the UK as it stood in October 2022. Key findings The workforce is not keeping pace with demand for services. In 2022, the clinical radiology workforce grew by just 3%. In comparison, demand for diagnostic activity is rising by over 5% annually, and by around 4% for interventional radiology services. The UK now has a 29% shortfall of clinical radiologists, which will rise to 40% in five years without action. By 2027, an additional 3,365 clinical radiologists will be needed to keep up with demand for services. This will have an inevitable impact on the quality-of-care consultants are able to provide. Only 24% of clinical directors believe they had sufficient radiologists to deliver safe and effective patient care. Interventional radiologists are still limited with the care they can provide. Nearly half (48%) of trusts and health boards have inadequate IR services, and only 1/3 (34%) of clinical directors felt they had enough interventional radiologists to deliver safe and effective patient care. Stress and burnout are increasingly common among healthcare professionals, risking an exodus of experienced staff. 100% of clinical directors (CDs) are concerned about staff morale and burnout in their department. 76% of consultants (WTE) who left in 2022 were under 60. We are seeing increasing trends that the workforce is simply not able to manage the increase in demand for services. 99% of departments were unable to manage their reporting demand without incurring additional costs. Across the UK, health systems spent £223 million on managing excess reporting demand in 2022, equivalent to 2,309 full-time consultant positions. Access the full census report here Related content: The benefits of a nursing led Vascular Access Service Team: A White Paper to outline a standardised structure and approach for the NHS to deliver vascular access services in every hospital (27 June 2022)
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Content ArticleThe healthcare workplace is a high-stress environment. All stakeholders, including patients and providers, display evidence of that stress. High stress has several effects. Even acutely, stress can negatively affect cognitive function, worsening diagnostic acumen, decision-making, and problem-solving. It decreases helpfulness. As stress increases, it can progress to burnout and more severe mental health consequences, including depression and suicide. One of the consequences (and causes) of stress is incivility. Both patients and staff can manifest these unkind behaviours, which in turn have been shown to cause medical errors. The human cost of errors is enormous, reflected in thousands of lives impacted every year. The economic cost is also enormous, costing at least several billion dollars annually. The warrant for promoting kindness, therefore, is enormous. Kindness creates positive interpersonal connections, which, in turn, buffers stress and fosters resilience. Kindness, therefore, is not just a nice thing to do: it is critically important in the workplace. Ways to promote kindness, including leadership modelling positive behaviours as well as the deterrence of negative behaviours, are essential. A new approach using kindness media is described. It uplifts patients and staff, decreases irritation and stress, and increases happiness, calmness, and feeling connected to others.
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News Article
CEO warns of ‘significant increase’ in patient anxiety over doctors’ strikes
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A trust chief executive has warned of a ‘really significant increase’ in patient anxiety and frustration created by the ongoing doctors’ strikes. Lance McCarthy, the chief executive officer of Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust, made the comments during the most recent four-day junior doctors’ strike, which also coincided with two days of consultant strike action. The trust leader told Hertfordshire and West Essex integrated care board on Friday: “We shouldn’t underestimate the impact industrial action is having.” Mr McCarthy said this impact was not just confined to strike days but also affected the run-up and aftermath of each bout of industrial action. He said every series of strike days caused service disruption for at least another 72 hours. He said: “We are seeing increasing frustration [from] our colleagues around it, because we are constantly duplicating work, cancelling patients, rebooking the same patients, etc. “We are [also] quite understandably starting to see in the last two months a really significant increase in anxiety and concern and frustration from our patients, who took it quite well the first couple of rounds but are understandably really frustrated. It is having a really significant impact.” In a further statement to HSJ, Mr McCarthy reiterated comments that trust staff had noticed an increase in anxiety, concern and frustration among both patients and colleagues in recent months. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 25 September 2023 -
Content ArticleThe tragic and preventable death of Ruth Perry, headteacher at a school downgraded by an Ofsted inspection, has sparked calls for a review of regulatory oversight. While safety and quality must be assured, it’s crucial to consider the impact of regulatory inspections on the well-being of passionate workforces facing complex and challenging environments. In this blog, healthcare entrepreneur Vanessa Webb makes the case that as a potential cause of harm to staff, regulatory inspections in public services including healthcare should be subject to Health and Safety Risk Assessments. There should be a systematic process to identify hazards, evaluate the likelihood and severity of harm, and determine appropriate controls to prevent or mitigate those risks.
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Content ArticleWork stress is one of the leading causes of physical and mental problems among nurses and can affect patient safety. Nurses experiencing stress are more prone to make errors, which has consequences for the safety culture. This study, published in BMC Nursing, aimed to describe the findings of studies that examined the relationship between job stress and patient safety culture among nurses.
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Content ArticleThis article for Forbes looks at new data suggesting that for almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor—and it’s equal to the impact of their partner. It outlines leadership approaches to improve employees' mental health, including self-management, impact recognition, fostering connection, offering choice and providing challenge.
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Content ArticleThe occupational therapy (OT) workforce is under huge pressure. Increased demand coupled with workforce shortages is challenging OTs’ capacity to provide essential support to people whose lives are impacted by long term health conditions and disability. In November 2022, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists surveyed OT practitioners across the UK about the workplace issues they’re facing now, and how these affect the services they deliver to the public. They also asked how practitioners are impacted personally, including whether they intend to continue working as OTs. The challenges shared by over 2,600 respondents have significant implications for the resilience of the current and future OT workforce, and the people who use OT services. Key findings 86% reported an increased demand for OT services within the previous 12 months. 79% stated that people were presenting more complex needs due to delayed interventions. 78% said that their team wasn’t large enough to meet the demand. 63% felt they were too busy to provide the level of care they’d like. 59% rated their work-related stress as 7 or above on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest level of stress. Key recommendations Governments must recognise that investment in the NHS and social care is critical to a healthy population and therefore economic growth. Investment in the OT workforce must be matched to service and demographic need, not just in the NHS but in social care as well. Capacity should be built within primary and community health and social care services, to ensure people receive advice and help early on, rather than when in acute need or with increased complexity due to delayed intervention. "We’re churning patients out faster and faster, older, frailer and more complex, but given no time to rehab or improve them, knowing that they will likely get readmitted again in a few days. That is disheartening when there is so much we could do if we were given a day or two, or there were more services in the community."
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Content ArticleTechnologies to assist with diabetes treatment and care have evolved rapidly over the past two decades. With each new innovation coming to the market, there are hopes that technologies will solve the numerous, complex issues related to diabetes. However, although it has been demonstrated that overall, these technologies—when available—bring major benefits to people living with diabetes, they do not make the condition disappear. This article in Diabetes Epidemiology and Management discusses the interconnections between technologies and diabetes distress, an often under-acknowledged consequence of the continuous demands of diabetes.
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Content ArticleA just and learning culture is the balance of fairness, justice, learning–and taking responsibility for actions. It is not about seeking to blame the individuals involved when care in the NHS goes wrong, nor the absence of responsibility and accountability. This report by NHS Resolution aims to promote the value of a person-centred workplace that is compassionate, safe and fair.
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Content ArticleIn this blog, Jennifer Nelson investigates why doctors have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. She speaks to experts including health psychologist Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt, who highlights that doctors tend to have a lower level of cognitive flexibility, which may affect their ability to cope when things don't go to plan. Psychotherapist Brad Fern goes on to describe the complex range of reasons that doctors may take their own lives, and describes the importance of tackling silence and isolation among doctors. The blog concludes by addressing the need to separate suicide from other wellbeing issues doctors might face, and by looking at how the system itself contributes to high suicide rates.
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Content ArticleGPs in the UK are under extreme strain and public satisfaction with general practice has plummeted. Pressures on general practice are not unique to the UK and GPs around the world are contending with the impact of the pandemic on their patients and working lives. The 2022 Commonwealth Fund survey compares perspectives from GPs across 10 high‑income countries. The survey asked GPs’ views about their working lives and wellbeing, quality of care and how services are delivered. The Health Foundation analysed the survey data to understand the experiences of GPs in the UK and how they compare to other countries. Key points The Health Foundation worked with the Commonwealth Fund to survey 9,526 primary care physicians across 10 high-income countries between February and September 2022. This included 1,010 GPs from the UK. They analysed the survey data to understand the experiences of GPs in the UK and how they compare to other countries. A majority of GPs in all countries are dealing with higher workloads than before the pandemic – and many have experienced greater stress and signs of emotional distress. But the experience of GPs in the UK should ring alarm bells for government. 71% say their job is ‘extremely’ or ‘very stressful’ – the highest of the 10 countries surveyed alongside Germany. Things have been getting worse for UK GPs. GPs in the UK were among the most satisfied of any country back in 2012. Now just 24% of UK GPs are ‘extremely’ or ‘very satisfied’ with practising medicine – similar to France but lower than all other countries surveyed. UK GPs are among the most likely to plan to stop seeing patients regularly in the next 1 to 3 years. Half of GPs in the UK think the quality of care they can provide to patients has got worse since the start of the pandemic – and only 14% think it has improved. But the survey also illustrates some of the core strengths of general practice in the UK, including a high proportion of GPs feeling well prepared to manage care for patients with complex needs, and strong performance compared with other countries in use of data to inform care. Decisive policy action is needed to improve the working lives of GPs in the UK – including to boost GP capacity and reduce workload. Policymakers considering options for primary care reform should recognise the strengths of general practice in the UK and work with the profession rather than against it.
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Content ArticleThis article in the journal Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the Clinician looks at the importance of recognising and addressing human factors in surgery. It explores human factors in the context of optimising individual performance, enhancing team working to improve patient safety, and creating better working lives for healthcare professionals across surgery and medicine.
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News ArticleThree in four NHS staff have struggled with a mental health condition in the last year, according to a new poll. A survey of workers carried out by NHS Charities Together over medics’ mental health comes as healthcare leaders were forced to reverse cuts to NHS Practitioner Health, a service for medics. A backlash from NHS staff over the proposed cuts forced health secretary Victoria Atkins to intervene. In the new poll of more than 1,000 NHS staff, 76% said they have experienced a health condition in the last year with 52% reporting anxiety, 51% reporting low mood, while 42% of respondents also said they’d experienced exhaustion. Meanwhile, the most recent NHS data shows the most common reasons for staff sickness are anxiety, stress, depression or other psychiatric conditions, with more than 586,600 working days lost over this in November 2023. NHS Practitioner Health began as a mental health service for GPs but has since expanded to other specialities following funding from NHS England. However, last week the provider announced this national funding was due to end, so its service would be reduced. NHS England said the decision was so it could review the services available for all NHS staff. However, it was forced to u-turn on the decision and agreed to provide funding for an additional year. Read full story Source: The Independent, 17 April 2024
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EventCOVID-19 has been incredibly stressful—personally and professionally—and has profoundly affected everyone in healthcare, including those of us in patient safety, quality, and risk management. Join this Patient Safety Association's virtual round table to decompress and share your experiences. Some of your colleagues have offered to discuss their coping strategies, and please feel free to do the same. Resources from professionals trained to handle stress will be provided. Register
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EventuntilCOVID-19 has been incredibly stressful—personally and professionally—and has profoundly affected everyone in healthcare, including those of us in patient safety, quality, and risk management. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and join this virtual round table to decompress and share your experiences. Some of your colleagues have offered to discuss their coping strategies, and please feel free to do the same. We will also be providing resources from professionals trained to handle stress. Register
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EventThis conference focuses on supporting staff who have been involved in patient safety incidents, or are the subject of complaints or claims. Involvement in an incident, complaint or claim can have severe consequences on staff who may experience a range of reactions including stress, depression, shame and guilt. This conference will enable you to: Network with colleagues who are working to support staff following incidents, complaints or claims. Understand national developments including the requirements in the 2020 Patient Safety Incident Response Framework. Reflect on how we can better support staff experiencing these issues through COVID-19. Deliver a just culture that supports consistent, constructive and fair evaluation of the actions of staff involved in patient safety incidents. Reflect on a healthcare’s professionals personal experience of being the subject of an incident investigation. Improve immediate support and debriefing when an incident occurs. Develop your skills in providing the staff member involved in a patient safety incident specific individual support or intervention to work safely. Understand how you can improve processes for ensuring candour and supporting staff. Identify key strategies for interviewing staff and taking statements and preparing staff for Coroner’s Inquests. Ensure you are up to date with the latest developments in psychological support for staff including building resilience. Self assess and reflect on your own practice. Gain CPD accreditation points contributing to professional development and revalidation evidence. Register
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News ArticleMaternity staff are facing extreme burnout during the pandemic as staff shortages and longer, busier shift patterns lead to the workforce becoming increasingly overwhelmed, healthcare leaders warned. Senior figures working in pregnancy services told The Independent healthcare professionals are working longer hours, covering extra shifts around the clock, and spending more time on call to compensate for increasing numbers of employees taking time off work after getting coronavirus. Staff say stress-related absences have reached “worryingly” high levels, with junior doctors and midwives “thrown into the deep end” due to having to fill in for colleagues. Professionals argued the coronavirus crisis will lead to a rise in doctors, nurses and midwives suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues – raising concerns staff exhaustion could curb patient safety and standards of care. Read full story Source: The Independent, 31 January 2021
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News Article
COVID-19: 'Traumatised' hospital staff need time to recover
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
"Traumatised" and "exhausted" medical staff need time to recover before tackling an NHS backlog, says the group representing hospitals in England. Many staff could resign if their wellbeing is not factored into plans to cut waiting lists, NHS Providers said. The number of people waiting more than a year for surgery rose 1,613 to 192,000 during the Covid pandemic. NHS Providers said demand for hospital beds is easing, but the pressure on intensive care units is still intense. NHS Providers estimates that it is going to be at least a month before the NHS gets back to normal winter pressures, and trusts are concerned about the transition into the next phase of the pandemic. Critical work that has been postponed, including a small number of urgent cancer cases, will be a priority, but there remains a need to tackle a wider backlog of routine operations alongside the vaccination programme. NHS Providers said trusts will work as fast as possible to tackle the backlog, but leaders cannot do so at the expense of staff burnout. Last month, a study suggested that many hospital staff treating the sickest patients during the first wave of the pandemic were left traumatised by the experience. Nearly half reported symptoms of severe anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or problem drinking. One in seven had thoughts of self-harming or being "better off dead". Read full story Source: BBC News, 1 February 2021
