US EditionWorking in understaffed NHS is leaving nurses sick and ‘broken’, leaders warn
More than 25,000 NHS nursing vacancies are causing stress-related illnesses and 66% of nurses report working while sick, the Royal College of Nursing said.
- The Royal College of Nursing warned understaffing drives an eight-year high in working sick and stress, citing dozens of weekly helpline calls from burned-out staff.
- Facing more than 25,000 vacancies, workforce shortages push nurses into unpaid extra hours, with 70% working beyond contracted hours weekly and 52% unpaid, the RCN said.
- Official NHS June figures show overall sickness absence at 4.9%, with nurses at 5.3% and midwives 5.7%, while 29% of days lost were due to anxiety and/or stress, including 28% among nurses.
- The RCN warned understaffing harms patient outcomes and staff wellbeing, noting many nurses avoid time off fearing colleague strain, and called for safety-critical nurse-patient ratios.
- The RCN urged new investment to grow the nursing workforce and ensure safe environments, recommending occupational health support, flexible working, and tackling workplace violence, while a DHSC spokesperson highlighted the 10-year health plan and government initiatives.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Care Staff Falling Ill as Understaffing Takes Its Toll
Share Post Share Email Hospitals and care homes in the UK are so short-staffed that nursing staff are continuing to work while unwell, with stress the leading cause of illness hitting an eight-year high, new research has revealed. It comes as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) separately reveals it is receiving dozens of calls a week to its advice line from burnt out staff seeking help over understaffing and sp…
Nurses Working While Ill, RCN Warns in New Survey
A Royal College of Nursing survey found that many nurses are working while ill, due to understaffing and increasing workloads. Medscape News UK Source link : https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/nurses-working-while-ill-rcn-warns-new-survey-2025a1000vyw?src=rss Author : Publish date : 2025-11-17 18:13:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source. The post Nurses Working While Ill, RCN Warns in New Survey first appeared on New…
The Auxiliary Nursing Care Techniques (AACS) of the Psychiatric Unit of Cruces Hospital have denounced the need for...
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