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Found 500 results
  1. News Article
    The specialist learning-disability nurse workforce is in “absolute crisis” with the number of specialist nurses falling by a third across the UK since 2009, leaving many vulnerable adults with inadequate care, according to a report by the largest nursing union. The Royal College of Nursing review revealed that the number of learning-disability nurses employed by the NHS has fallen from 7,083 in 2009 to 4,768 in 2026. As a result of these falling numbers, 1.5 million people with learning disabilities were not being provided with their legal right to equitable access to health and care services. This failure in care has mainly been attributed to the chronic lack of specialist learning-disability nurses available across the UK, with this gap expected to widen in the coming years. Only 490 learning-disability nursing students had chosen to study the specialism in the UK, according to the analysis. This was a 40% reduction over the past decade in the number of students accepted on to these courses. Prof Lynn Woolsey, the Royal College of Nursing’s chief officer, said the review’s findings were a “warning that we cannot continue this path where learning-disability nursing is consistently undermined”. “The learning-disability nurse workforce is in absolute crisis, with workforce numbers falling while university student numbers also collapse. Their skills are too vital for this to be allowed to continue,” Woolsey said. She added: “The expertise of learning-disability nurses has been poorly understood, inconsistently recognised, and insufficiently protected within health and care systems. Their contribution is repeatedly undermined and ignored in wide workforce planning and service delivery.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 June 2026 Further reading on the hub: Top picks: Breaking down the barriers faced by people with learning disabilities
  2. News Article
    The NHS will introduce a new class of generalist hospital doctors – inspired by the American “hospitalist” role – by the end of the decade, according to a leak of the government’s upcoming workforce plan. Draft plans seen by HSJ propose the introduction of hospitalists to help care for complex patients who do not neatly fit into a single specialty. Other proposals include a Teach First-style scheme to push more GPs to work in deprived and under-doctored areas. The 10-Year Workforce Plan, originally scheduled for last year, is being drawn up to replace the 2023 workforce strategy, which Labour has criticised for proposing large increases in hospital staffing that are now seen as unaffordable. The draft of the new plan states that the main consideration is not “headcount or inputs, but… a fit for the future care model”. It says the out-of-hospital workforce will grow faster than the acute sector. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 10 June 2026
  3. Content Article
    Productivity is a polarising term in the NHS. In a stretched system, it carries unwelcome connotations of being asked to do more work with the same – or fewer – resources. It is unsurprising, then, that the productivity ‘agenda’ is viewed with caution, even resentment; as something imposed on the service rather than shaped by those who deliver and use it.  This blog presents an overview of the results of a recent public call for evidence from The Health Foundation as part of the NHS Productivity Commission, in which a wide range of stakeholders were invited to share their insights, ideas and expertise on the challenge of productivity in the NHS in England and how it could be tackled.  Key insights gained covered the following areas: Measuring productivity and defining value: How productivity is measured was considered of key importance as well as defining a shared system-wide priority for the health service. Ideas for change from the frontline: Ideas were presented for how productivity could be owned and improved from the frontline, to enhance job quality and retention. System and organisational capabilities: Many respondents spoke about the cultural changes and system capabilities needed for a more productive NHS.  The next steps are proposed in which the insights gained from this call for evidence, along with wider research and stakeholder engagement will be drawn upon to develop a series of policy options papers and an overarching roadmap.
  4. Event
    until
    Hosted by RLDatix, this event brings together Europe’s largest community of health, care, and social care professionals, uniting leaders in service planning, clinical operations, workforce management, and safety to share insights, exchange best practice to help raise the standard of care, everywhere. Over two days, you’ll hear from leaders tackling some of the biggest challenges in healthcare today, from workforce transformation to patient safety and system-wide innovation. Agenda Register
  5. Content Article
    This evidence review aims to examine what it feels like to experience ‘well-led’ health and/or care services and organisations, from the perspectives of people with lived experience and people working in health and social care. It is an extension to ‘Making it Real’ - a framework and set of statements co-produced by Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that describe what good, co-ordinated and personalised care and support look like from the perspective of people drawing on it. 
  6. News Article
    Almost two-thirds of nurses believe there are too few of them working in the NHS to keep patients safe and give them proper care, a survey has revealed. Understaffing and the increasingly complex medical needs posed by an ageing population are creating a “deadly mix” for patients, the Royal College of Nursing warned on Monday. More than one in five (22%) of nurses working in hospitals or community settings across the UK told the RCN that the number of nurses on duty in their last shift was “well below what was needed”, which left care “significantly compromised” and a “high level of risk of harm to patents and staff”. Of the more than 13,000 nurses who took part in the survey 64% said they thought that the number of registered nurses on that shift was “below” or “well below” what was needed to ensure safe care. One nurse working in an A&E in England told the union: “The shift was completely unsafe and it felt like a miracle that avoidable harm was not caused.” Prof Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s chief executive and general secretary, will urge ministers to bring in mandatory minimum safe nurse staffing levels when she opens its annual congress on Monday. “Widespread vacancies of registered nurses are always unsafe,” she said. “But the risk is being compounded by the demands of delivering ever more complex care to an ageing, sicker population, with multiple conditions. It’s a deadly mix.” Speaking in Liverpool, she will accuse ministers of failing to ensure that the health service has enough nurses and the nursing profession is being “set up to fail”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 18 May 2026
  7. Content Article
    When we talk about NHS administration, it often gets described as systems, processes, inefficiencies. That’s not how it feels in general practice. From where I sit as a practice manager, administration is the bit that either helps a patient get care – or quietly stops them from getting it at all, writes Kay Keane in this guest blog for The King's Fund. The recent report from The King's Fund talks about patients feeling ‘lost in the system’. What is less visible is the amount of work happening every single day to stop that from happening.  
  8. Content Article
    More information about "Professional regulation and patient safety: parallel systems or purposeful partners?"
    Martin Fletcher, hub topic lead for professionalisation and regulation, has been part of transformational change in professional regulation through his tenure as Chief Executive of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). In a new blog for the hub, Martin asks: How do we better connect the work of professional regulation with a systems focus on improving patient safety? And how do we navigate this interface in a health and societal context which is rapidly changing? Zubin Austin writes eloquently about the challenges of the ‘chaotic tumult’ of the many wicked problems that face professional regulators and, indeed, our health system more widely.[1] These form both the context and scaffolding for our work in years to come. The rise of entrepreneurial and profit-driven models of care, telehealth, unregulated medicines for sale online, the role of social media and AI-driven therapeutics are disruptors which have introduced new risk profiles. Traditional regulatory frameworks and approaches to patient safety must adapt. These shifts demand new thinking around safety, accountability, transparency and equity. Traditionally, professional regulation has more narrowly focused on the conduct, competence and performance of individual health practitioners, with an emphasis on public protection. However, we know that the safety of patients is shaped by a wider range of inter-related factors, including clinical governance, team dynamics, design of systems and processes, technology and organisational safety culture. There can be no healthcare without a health workforce. And an ethical, safety-conscious, competent and accountable health workforce is critical for a safe, high quality healthcare system. I have previously written for Patient Safety Learning on the need to more closely link the work of service, product and system regulators, and patient safety improvement bodies. Shared goals, role clarity, information flows and aligned actions are critical. When we operate in silos, we risk missing the bigger picture. Without coordinated action across agencies, patients remain vulnerable. The rapidly growing cosmetic practices sector illustrates these challenges vividly. In both Australia and the UK, reviews have shown that regulating practitioners alone isn’t enough.[2] [3] Products, procedures, facilities, social media, information asymmetry, service licensing arrangements and weak professional ethics all contribute to the potential risk of harm to patients. More widely, there are significant opportunities to better use and share data and intelligence to both anticipate and understand risks of patient harm. The legalisation of medicinal cannabis in Australia powerfully illustrates this need. Incident reports, notifications and complaints are often lag indicators—we need to get ahead of emerging risks of harm to patients, especially in the face of the many healthcare disruptors we face. I hope the hub community is a vehicle for sharing ideas, strategies and real-world examples of how to build foundations and bridges between professional regulation and patient safety improvements more widely. New thinking and approaches are needed. And despite many differences in the way that health systems are organised and funded across the world, there are many common challenges. References Austin Z, Haji A. Regulation of wicked problems: opportunities, responsibilities, and threats. J Med Regulation. 2023;109(3):6–11. doi:10.30770/2572-1852-109.3.6. Brown A, Duggan A, Kirkland A, McCausland R. Independent review of the regulation of medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery: Final report. Melbourne: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency; August 2022. UK Parliament. The regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. House of Commons Library, 10 September 2025. Further blogs on the hub from Martin Professional regulation and patient safety systems: parallel planets or partners in improvement?
  9. Event
    until
    Nursing is central to patient safety, quality of care and the sustainability of health systems, yet its contribution is frequently undervalued in policy and practice). This seminar will present an overview of the existing international and UK evidence on the association between safe nurse staffing and patient and staff outcomes, including mortality, failure‑to‑rescue and quality of care. It will examine how inadequate staffing is linked to missed care, preventable harm, staff burnout and attrition, contributing to the widening workforce crisis across health and care systems. Attention will be paid to the gendered nature of the nursing workforce, with women comprising nearly nine in ten registrants in the UK, and how structural inequities, misrecognition and limited professional agency shape decision‑making about safety and workforce investment. Positioning nursing as a critical yet often invisible ‘safety net’, this session demonstrates that patient safety cannot be meaningfully addressed without nursing workforce evidence at its core. Speaker: Dr Kate Kirk, Associate Director of Nursing Workforce Academy, Royal College of Nursing and Prof Amanda Adegboye, Head of Workforce Research, Royal College of Nursing Register
  10. News Article
    NHS bank staff motivation and engagement have increased in a new national survey, in contrast to falling scores among other colleagues. The results also revealed a widening gap between the proportion who look forward to work and are enthusiastic about their job, compared to their peers. The 2025 staff survey for bank workers showed motivation rose slightly to just under 7.5 out of 10. This fell to below 6.9 – the worst score in recent years – for substantive staff in results released last month. The overall engagement score – which also covers involvement and advocacy – had a small rise to 6.93 for bank staff last year, compared to a historic low of 6.75 reported by substantive staff. The results showed bank staff were more likely to look forward to going to work at 67% of respondents compared to 52% of substantive staff, with the gap in scores over 3 percentage points wider than in 2023. However, nearly one in four bank-only workers said they had experienced physical violence within the past 12 months, which has declined slightly from 25% the year before. This is still significantly higher than the 15% reported by their substantive colleagues and varied by ethnic background. The report said: “For female white bank workers, the proportion experiencing violence at work from patients or the public has decreased compared to last year and, at 22%, is at a three-year low. “The proportion of male white workers experiencing at least one incident of physical violence from patients or the public has also decreased, whereas male workers from all other ethnic groups have seen an increase in experiences of violence this year, with more than three in ten … experiencing such behaviour in 2025.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 27 April 2026
  11. News Article
    Mental health patients in the UK are routinely coming to harm because of high caseloads, understaffing and overwhelming administrative work, according to a poll that found only a fifth of specialist nurses felt their workload was manageable. Prof Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said mental health nurses were caught in a “perfect storm” and unable to keep up with rising demand, with patients paying the price by missing out on crucial care. Half of the specialist nurses who responded to the RCN union’s UK-wide survey said mental health patients “frequently come to harm” because caseloads are too high, with a quarter feeling that time pressures lead to daily issues with patient deterioration, relapse or self-harm. Nearly two-thirds said their caseloads had risen “a lot” in the past three years, while excessive admin and a “tick box” culture were blamed for taking away valuable time for patient care. The poll also suggests that demand for services has grown more than twice as fast as the number of nurses in the field. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 27 April 2026
  12. News Article
    Limits should be introduced on the "unmanageable" caseloads of health visitors in England, with some now responsible for more than 1,000 families each, the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) has said. The number of health visitors - qualified nurses or midwives who support families with very young children - has almost halved in the last decade. In January, the Health and Social Care Committee said the government would fail in its ambition to give every child the best start in life, unless it took urgent action to rebuild the workforce. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says the government is "committed to strengthening health visiting services". Emma Dolan, a health visitor with Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust in Hull, says her "top priorities" are to spot potential issues early, and offer advice to parents on things like their baby's wellbeing and sleep to prevent problems arising later. "We want our babies to live long and happy lives [by] giving that support nice and early and making sure that families know what services are out there." However, BBC analysis has shown the number of health visitors in England has fallen from 10,200 a decade ago, to 5,575 in January - a drop of 45%. iHV chief Alison Morton says families are paying the price for the decline in the workforce. "We need to set a benchmark, otherwise we're just going to continue to see this decline with hugely unmanageable, unsafe caseloads which are impossible for health visitors to work within," she says. "Health visitors are having to prioritise, and actually prioritisation has a human cost. "They're having to tell families: 'I'm sorry, I can't do that extra follow-up visit', when you know it would have made a massive difference to that family." Even if England did bring in safe staffing limits, according to Morton, there aren't enough health visitors currently employed to provide that level of coverage. "We need more health visitors so that we can have manageable caseloads," she says. Read full story Source: BBC News, 20 April 2026
  13. Content Article
    In 2019, the last government pledged to add 50,000 more registered nurses to the NHS in England by 2024/25 – a target that was met in 2023. But it’s been unclear how this was achieved and the lessons for policymakers from how it was done. In this long read, Lucina Rolewicz and Billy Palmer highlight the key findings from an NIHR-funded evaluation of the N50k programme, and – ahead of a new workforce plan for the NHS – emphasise the importance of learning the lessons from previous efforts to drive up the numbers of nurses in the health service. Key insights Many nurses move between the NHS and the private sector. Sickness absence is a significant predictor of nurses leaving their role. Nurses at the top of some pay bands are more likely to leave. The nursing workforce became less experienced based on time worked within a given pay band. Nurses from outside the UK or Europe are increasingly leaving the NHS. Some settings and areas have disproportionately failed to benefit from the increase in nurses.
  14. News Article
    Two in five international health workers are considering leaving the UK, with many citing feelings of not being welcome amid anti-immigrant rhetoric. The union Unison warns that government proposals to tighten settlement rules for migrant workers, coupled with escalating visa fees and restrictions, threaten to deepen the ongoing NHS staffing crisis. A Unison survey of nearly 1,900 international health professionals working in Britain found that 43% are now considering departure, with a quarter feeling unwelcome and a fifth reporting they feel unsafe. The union’s head of health Helga Pile said: “The UK’s health and care services would collapse without the skilled workers who’ve come here from overseas. How we treat them matters – they should be respected, not taken advantage of and abused. “It’s shocking so many NHS staff say they don’t feel safe or welcome in this country. No wonder so many are thinking of leaving. “These findings make it clear ministers must think again about trebling the settlement period for crucial migrant health and care staff. Otherwise, the workforce crisis will get worse. “Politicians of all stripes need to stop demonising people who are doing crucial work, often for very low pay. They’re the ones shoring up the UK’s crumbling health and care sectors. We simply cannot do without them.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 14 April 2026
  15. Content Article
    A review carried out by the National Guardian’s Office has found that temporary workers feel largely excluded from being able to speak up about workplace issues – with almost two-thirds (60.4%) of temporary workers surveyed saying they do not have a voice in the NHS in England. In the report review, it was found that the biggest barrier to speaking up for temporary workers was the fear of losing shifts. The review was carried out to enhance the understanding and improvement of a speak up culture among temporary workers in the NHS, working in roles such as nursing, midwifery and health and social care. The review included surveys, focus groups and interviews to gather diverse perspectives. It spoke to workers, Freedom to Speak Up guardians and other key stakeholders including national representative organisations. The review heard deeply moving stories from temporary workers, with many recounting experiences of unfair treatment at work, not being supported and feeling like an outsider. In addition, temporary workers reported issues such as a lack of proper staff induction, a lack of advocacy and representation, mistrust in speaking up processes and a lack of support after raising concerns. The review was carried out following a Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) Investigation in 2024 which found widespread discrimination and cultures of fear hindering speaking up among temporary staff. The review found: About two-thirds (64.6%) of participants surveyed said they knew speaking up arrangements in their organisation. 5% of workers from NHS Professionals were not aware of Freedom to Speak Up guardians whereas only 18.8% of workers from Trust Bank were not aware of Freedom to Speak Up guardians. Seniority had an impact on whether workers knew the arrangements for speaking up. 71% of staff pay bands five-to-eight knew what the speaking up arrangements were, whereas only 59% of bands one-to-four did. The review report contains six recommendations to help tackle the issues identified, aimed at both the healthcare system and provider organisations and temporary workforce suppliers. The recommendations include calls for the strengthening of support allowing temporary workers to speak up and the promotion of a culture of inclusion and belonging for temporary workers. Related reading on the hub: Speaking up for patient safety: An interview with Kathy Nabbie Speaking up as an agency nurse cost me my career My experience as an agency nurse
  16. Content Article
    In 2010, the English NHS employed around 95,000 doctors. Five years later, it was 105,000; five years after that, 124,000; and last year, the total reached 154,000. That’s a 58% increase in 15 years (and 24% in the last five). The same analysis reveals a 22% increase in the number of nurses (300,000 to 367,000). However, the number of nurses went down during the coalition years. The increase since 2015 has been 33%. So, in 2010, there were – very roughly - 560 people per doctor and 180 per nurse. Today those numbers are – again very roughly – 380 and 160. respectively. So what happened to NHS performance, patient satisfaction, and doctor happiness over that period? Whatever the answer to the NHS’s woes is, it is clearly not simply “more doctors and nurses”, writes Alastair McLellan in this HSJ article.
  17. News Article
    Pregnant women and cancer patients could face “life-threatening” delays because of a worsening shortage of sonographers, experts warn. The vacancy rate for sonographers is 24.2% across England, rising to 38.2% in some areas, according to the Society of Radiographers (SoR). In addition, 1 in every 13 (7.6%) sonographers are planning to retire within the next year, the census found. Sonographers carry out ultrasound scans which are essential to pregnancy care and are also used to diagnose cancer. Pregnant women undergo scans when their baby is 12 weeks old and again at 20 weeks. Katie Thompson, SoR president and a practising sonographer, said shortages forced hospitals to pull in practitioners from other areas to keep the antenatal services going at the "expense of those other services". "Hospitals try their very best to get the three-month and five-month antenatal screening scans done on time," she said. "But when there aren't enough staff, prioritising those scans has a knock-on effect on more urgent later foetal growth scans, which in some cases need to be done within 24 or 36 hours. "Departments end up struggling to fit in patients who need these emergency scans." Read full story Source: Sky News, 28 March 2026
  18. News Article
    Staff operating NHS 111 calls are leaving in significant numbers, a union has warned. Heavy workloads, chronic staff shortages and abuse from callers have been listed as reasons for their departures from the service. Unison revealed figures from six ambulance services in England and Wales, showing almost half of their workforce left their jobs in the three years leading up to April 2024. The study also highlighted a severe impact on well-being, with 300,000 days lost to ill health across these six organisations during the same period. The report also includes a survey of more than 200 staff, who said the volume of calls, staff shortages and aggressive and abusive callers were the worst challenges they faced in the job. Unison’s national ambulance officer Sharan Bandesha said: “NHS 111 is a lifeline for patients and their families. “The service provides vital advice and access to care when they urgently need it. “But staff are under immense pressure and it’s no surprise many don’t stay in the role. “Bringing 111 services back in-house, paying staff properly for their work and employing enough staff to alleviate pressure would help ensure NHS 111 is fit for the future.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 27 March 2026
  19. News Article
    NHS bosses have accused resident doctors of seeking to cause “maximum harm” to patients by striking for six days next month over pay and jobs. Wes Streeting has given resident – formerly junior – doctors in England until 2 April to reconsider their rejection on Wednesday of his “generous” offer to end the dispute. It would have given them £700m in extra pay over the next three years. The British Medical Association’s decision to withdraw from talks with the government and NHS chiefs aimed at settling the long-running dispute has sparked a war of words. Glen Burley, NHS England’s financial reset and accountability director, said during NHS England’s board meeting on Thursday that the BMA’s decision was “really disappointing for patients. I mean, this is a point where we know we’ll be at a busy stage again. So it feels like it’s trying to push maximum harm and we will try and make sure that doesn’t happen.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 26 March 2026
  20. News Article
    Resident doctors in England to begin six-day strike after rejecting offer in pay dispute British Medical Association blame government for longest proposed walkout so far, with NHS leaders warning it could cost £300m Resident doctors in England will strike for six days after Easter after rejecting what they said was the final offer by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to end the long-running pay and jobs dispute. The British Medical Association blamed the government for its decision to undertake its longest stoppage so far, from 7am on Tuesday 7 April to 6.59 on Monday 13 April. This will be the 15th industrial action that resident doctors have staged in their campaign for “full pay restoration” and means they will strike for the fourth year running. NHS leaders warned the strike would cost the health service an estimated £300m, lead to appointments being cancelled, and force patients to wait longer for tests, treatment and surgery. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 25 March 2026
  21. News Article
    Ambulance chiefs have been urged to take greater efforts to ensure their workforce is more diverse by NHS Alliance chair Lord Victor Adebowale. Lord Adebowale told the Ambulance Leadership Forum that it was “weird” to be in an environment which was so predominantly white. The NHS Alliance is the body formed by the union between NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation. Its chair told the annual forum of ambulance chiefs: “I can’t believe how white you are”, noting most of the other meetings he went to had at least 5 per cent non-white participants. He praised the work ambulance trusts had been doing to improve the treatment of LGBT+ and neurodiverse staff but added the sector had a “problem” with racial diversity. Lord Adebowale said: “It is not sustainable, it’s not credible. So whatever you are doing it is not working fast enough.” Rates of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff in ambulance trusts are lower than in other parts of the NHS. In part, this reflects a paramedic population that is predominately white, with overseas recruitment tending to focus on countries like Australia which have similar training. There is only one BAME CEO in the sector – North West Ambulance Service’s Salman Desai – and a sprinkling of executive directors. None of the 10 English ambulance trusts are led by a woman. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 23 March 2026
  22. News Article
    Ministers’ plans to cut the international workforce within NHS England appear overambitious, MPs have said, as a report reveals the health service saved more than £14bn by recruiting doctors, nurses and midwives from overseas. Many of the countries recruited from were struggling with staff shortages, and the UK had a moral duty to offer support, rather than simply extracting what it needed, the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on global health and security found. The group’s inquiry into the benefits and costs of international health worker recruitment heard that the scale of NHS reliance on overseas workers meant the government’s plan to reduce international recruitment to around 10% by 2035 was overambitious. “The NHS has not operated at that level for decades,” said Andrew Mitchell, the former development minister who chaired the inquiry. Thirty-six per cent of UK doctors and 24% of nurses and midwives were trained elsewhere in the world. The number of visas granted to healthcare professionals has fallen sharply in recent years. But overseas staff would be needed “for the foreseeable future”, the APPG said. Mitchell added: “We must grow our own workforce. But in a shrinking world, pretending health workforces are purely national assets, is no longer credible. If we benefit from health workers trained overseas, we also have a duty to help strengthen the systems they come from.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 March 2026
  23. Content Article
    The NHS Staff Survey is one of the largest workforce surveys in the world and is carried out every year to improve staff experiences across the NHS. It asks staff in England about their experiences of working for their respective NHS organisations. Over 1.5 million NHS employees in England were invited to participate in the survey, with 729,423 staff responding in 2025. Responses to key patient safety questions in this year’s survey included: Reporting of errors, near misses and incidents 33.71% of staff have seen errors, near misses, or incidents that could have hurt staff and/or patients/service users in the last month (2024: 33.64%; 2023: 33.50%; 2022: 33.72%). 59.29% of staff said their organisation treats staff who are involved in an error, near miss or incident fairly (2024: 59.72%; 2023: 59.51%; 2022: 58.22%). 86.16% of staff said their organisation encourages staff to report errors, near misses or incidents (2024: 86.43%; 2023: 86.41%; 2022: 86.14%) 67.30% of staff said that when errors, near misses or incidents are reported, their organisation takes action to ensure that they do not happen again (2024: 68.19%; 2023: 68.20%; 2022: 67.40%) 61.02% of staff said that they are given feedback about changes made in response to reported errors, near misses and incidents (2024: 61.28%; 2023: 61.03%; 2022: 59.89%). Concerns about clinical safety 71.10% of staff said they would feel secure raising concerns about unsafe clinical practice (2024: 71.56%; 2023: 71.47%; 2022: 72.07%; 2021: 75.17%). 55.49% of staff said they were confident that their organisation would address their concern (2024: 56.82%; 2023: 56.86%; 2022: 56.75%; 2021: 59.52%). Speaking up about concerns 60.29% of staff said they feel safe to speak up about anything that concerns them in their organisation (2024: 61.83%; 2023: 62.35%; 2022: 61.54%; 2021: 62.08%). 47.59% of staff said they were confident that their organisation would address their concern (2024: 49.51%; 2023: 50.06%; 2022: 48.66%; 2021: 49.77%). Care for patients and service users 71.78% of staff said that care of patients or service users is their organisation's top priority (2024: 74.37%; 2023: 75.14%; 2022: 74.05%; 2021: 75.62%). 69.18% of staff agree that their organisation acts on concerns raised by patients or services users (2024: 70.90%; 2023: 70.62%; 2022: 69.15%; 2021: 72.10%) Workload and resources 46.51% of staff said they are able to meet all the conflicting demands on their time at work (2024: 47.20%; 2023: 46.53%; 2022: 42.79%; 2021: 42.85%). 56.06% of staff said they have adequate materials, supplies and equipment to do their work (2024: 58.01%; 2023: 58.33%; 2022: 55.45%; 2021: 57.15%). 32.82% of staff said there are enough staff at their organisation for them to do their job properly (2024: 33.98%; 2023: 32.24%; 2022: 26.21%; 2021: 26.89%).
  24. Content Article
    Physician Associates were supposed to ease doctor’s caseloads. Instead they’ve been accused of stealing jobs, confusing patients and failing to prevent at least four deaths. Are their days numbered? Dr Phil Whitaker gives his prognosis in this Times article. You’ve probably phoned your local surgery — or filled in the online form — only to be told the GP can’t fit you in, but a physician associate can see you. Or perhaps you’ve been to A&E and been assessed by a scrubs-clad “PA”, introducing themselves as “one of the medical team”. It’s better to be seen by somebody than nobody, you thought, and you trust the NHS to ensure you’ll be seen by someone qualified to help. Together, the words “physician” and “associate” at least sound reassuring. Yet a series of revelations over the past three years, including four coroners’ reports into patient deaths, have raised serious concerns about the way the health service has deployed this type of NHS worker. Some in the medical profession are asking: should the job even exist at all? Maryam Habib was on her way to the waiting room to collect her first patient of the morning when she spotted something odd on her consulting room door: someone had changed her job title. When she’d left for her summer holiday two weeks earlier the sign had identified her as a “physician associate”, as it had done for the three years she’d been working at her GP surgery in Manchester. Now her own door told her she was something else: a “physician assistant”. The change wasn’t just cosmetic for Habib. She noticed that the appointment slots earmarked for her to assist the duty doctor with the day’s urgent workload had been blocked. She was also told by the practice manager that she was now banned from seeing anyone under the age of 16. Young patients she’d been working with for months, building rapport and trust, were abruptly transferred to an unfamiliar GP. “For the first time I didn’t feel welcome in my workplace,” Habib, 27, tells me. “I felt like a lesser colleague.” She started to overthink every decision, feeling acutely vulnerable in case she put a foot wrong. “It went from 0 to 100 really quickly.”
  25. Content Article
    Educating clinicians about artificial intelligence (AI) is urgent as the UK General Medical Council places liability with practitioners and the European Union AI Act with employers for appropriate training, but also because AI, like any tool, requires training to use safely. The NHS England Capability Framework provides guidance, but frontline clinicians’ perspectives are unknown, so this study published in BMJ Digital Health & AI sought to identify their priorities. The authors surveyed over 300 clinicians to identify their exact priorities and "blind spots" when it comes to AI education. The findings show that clinicians prioritise practical concerns, such as liability and determining confidence in algorithmic outputs. In contrast, critical appraisal and explaining AI to patients were deprioritised, despite their relevance to clinical safety. This infographic from Grazia Antonacci summarises the findings of the study. Read Grazia's LinkedIn post on the study here.

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