Responding to a new report from the King’s Fund, commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

“We welcome this report on the wellbeing and working conditions of nurses and midwives.

“With the NHS currently facing just under 100,000 vacancies, workforce pressures must be addressed to improve staff wellbeing. Pre-existing issues of staff stress, absenteeism, and turnover have all been exacerbated by the pandemic, so we welcome the report’s practical recommendations, particularly on the need to increase staff numbers.

“To protect the wellbeing of the NHS workforce, more staff are needed not only to cover existing workforce gaps, but also to build flexibility into the system.

Wellbeing is often spoken of at an individual staff level, but by building a resilient system, workforce wellbeing will be far better protected by realistic workloads, more regular and reliable breaks, and better work life balance.

Saffron Cordery    Interim Chief Executive

“Wellbeing is often spoken of at an individual staff level, but by building a resilient system, workforce wellbeing will be far better protected by realistic workloads, more regular and reliable breaks, and better work life balance.

“In a recent survey, we found that 92% of trust leaders were concerned about staff wellbeing, stress and burnout following the pandemic. To retain and engage staff, there must be national support and a co-ordinated approach to mental health and wellbeing.

“We also welcome the recommendations to combat racial inequalities in workforce, through compassionate and supportive leadership, assessments to protect against excessive workload, and appropriate developmental support. A lot of trusts are doing good work in this area.

“The wellbeing of staff continues to be the top priority of trust leaders.”