Staff survey
they work in, with ambulance Trusts consistently having the highest proportion of staff reporting that they plan to leave the service. “For all the heated debate about equality
and diversity initiatives in the NHS, the results of this survey speak for themselves. There is a worsening trend of staff experiencing discrimination at the hands of colleagues and the public. Black, Asian and ethnic minority staff consistently report higher rates of discrimination than their White colleagues.
Only 56% of NHS staff feel their workplace acts fairly when it comes to career progression, regardless of protected characteristics. There are substantial disparities in how different staff groups experience working in the NHS, and it is a problem the government and the NHS cannot ignore. While there has been some improvement compared to last year, it is no surprise amidst ongoing industrial action that less than a third of NHS staff are satisfied with their level of pay and only 61% of staff would recommend their
NHS staff and mental health support
On the one-year anniversary of funding cuts to NHS Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs, seventeen organisations have written an open letter to Victoria Atkins MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, warning that staff face a postcode lottery of patchy mental health support, as hubs across England continue to close. The warning comes as the NHS Staff Survey
results continue to reflect a burnt out and demoralised workforce: 42 percent of staff said they have felt unwell because of work-related stress in the last 12 months; nearly one third (30 percent) of staff said they often or always feel burnt out because of their work. With many staff presenting to the remaining
hubs with significant and complex mental health issues, the organisations are highlighting that without dedicated services, staff will be added to lengthy waiting lists for mainstream mental health services. This could lead to staff taking more time off sick, or delaying their return to work, at a time when staff shortages and retention issues are a major concern. Most of the funding for the 40 NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs was cut in March 2023, with just £2.3m provided to hubs in July 2023, a fraction of the original £38.5million annual budget. Research shows that for every £1 spent on workplace mental health interventions, £5 is saved, yet the picture for staff mental health and wellbeing services across England is bleak. (
https://www2.deloitte.com/content/ dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consultancy/ deloitte-uk-mental-health-and-employers.pdf) l Of the original 40 hubs, 18 hubs have closed since March 2023.
l Three hubs are slated for closure at the end of March, and a further nine hubs are yet to have confirmation of funding and are under threat of closure
l Just ten hubs have confirmed some funding for the year ahead.
Of those hubs that have remained open this 62
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I May 2024
year, the majority have offered a reduced service, and snapshots of evidence demonstrate the severity of the issues staff are presenting with.
l One hub found 30 percent of hub users presented with suicidal thoughts.
l In the first two months of 2024, one hub has seen its highest number of referrals to date, with 65 percent presented with complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 67 percent were managers, leaders and senior clinical practitioners.
l In another hub, of the 1,187 people registered for one-to-one support between April 23 - Dec 23, concerningly 78 percent of hub users presented with moderate to severe depression.
Evidence suggests the mental health support
provided by staff mental health and wellbeing services can help support staff retention and could ultimately lead to a cost saving for the NHS by reducing the soaring costs on agency staff to plug staffing gaps. Analysis from one hub found that 95 percent of
those who were treated returned to work or did not take sickness absence; another hub found that 200 staff members returned to work from long term sickness absence after getting help from the hub. Dr. Roman Raczka, President-Elect of the British
Psychological Society, said: “Staff are the lifeblood of our NHS and social care services, and ambitions to achieve improved productivity simply cannot be achieved without investment in a healthy, supported workforce. “The recent NHS Staff Survey results and
evidence from Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs highlights why continued investment in mental health support remains a vital part of the solution to addressing workforce challenges, and research shows it makes good business sense. “We know senior NHS and social care leaders
want to provide their workforces with the best possible support. They recognise how dedicated
mental health support can help staff remain in their jobs, return from long term sickness and, crucially, prevent future ill-health. “However, most integrated care systems are
struggling to balance the books, and the funding simply isn’t there to provide these, sometimes lifesaving, services. That’s why together we’re calling on the government to act and help safeguard the mental health of this vital workforce, both now and in the future.” Commenting on the letter, Professor Dame
Jane Dacre, Medical Protection Society (MPS) President, said: “There are too many skilled, passionate healthcare workers who have a long career ahead of them but are on the verge of quitting due to mental wellbeing issues. “We are also seeing more NHS staff absent
from work due to mental ill health than ever before. This is worrying for those individuals, for the workforce and for patient care. “The relationship between mental wellbeing support and staff retention was acknowledged in the NHS workforce plan, yet paradoxically funding for mental wellbeing services was scaled back and the responsibility was shifted onto integrated care boards. “This, unsurprisingly, has resulted in the
demise of most of the NHS mental wellbeing hubs. It is critical that policy makers across all parties start thinking long term on this issue.” The letter to Victoria Atkins has been signed
by the British Psychological Society, The King’s Fund, Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Medical Association, NHS Providers, Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Radiologists, Centre for Mental Health, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, British Association of Social Workers England, Association of Clinical Psychologists UK, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Medical Protection Society, the Faculty for Intensive Care Medicine, and HCSA - the hospital doctors’ union.
organisation as a place of work. “For the first time, the survey results also
captured the experience of sexual harassment in the workplace. It is possible that the true scale could be much higher than the 4% of staff reporting these experiences from colleagues, and therefore clear action is needed on every level to make the NHS a safe place to work for all.” CSJ
Full results for the survey are available from
www.nhsstaffsurveys.com
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