More than three quarters of NHS workers are seriously considering leaving their jobs amid the ongoing strain on the health service.
According to research from the worker-led network Organise – which surveyed 2,546 NHS staff in March – 78.5% are thinking about packing it all in.
Only a fifth (21.5%) said they had no plan to give up their NHS job any time soon.
And the survey shows this sentiment is shared across a range of professions within the health service – with nurses, healthcare assistants, paramedics, doctors, health visitors and more all struggling with their jobs right now.
This comes after years of public concerns about the longevity of the health service, amid funding cuts, staff shortages and burnout – not to mention the additional strain from the Covid pandemic.
The findings also show that in the last three years:
- 79% of respondents experienced stress
- 62% reported anxiety
- 55% reported burnout
More than half (55%) of respondents said they needed to take time off from their jobs as a result, with a quarter saying this meant a month or more away from work.
The workers also said that patients are experiencing medication errors, delays in procedures, longer waiting times and a compromised quality of care because of the healthcare professionals’ own struggles.
Organise’s data comes just as the 2022 British Social Attitudes survey was released.
It shows that only 29% of the general public are satisfied with how the NHS is run – the lowest level ever recorded.
As Organise noted, its findings only highlight the urgent need for reform within the health service.
CEO and co-founder, Nat Whalley, said: “NHS workers are exposing a ticking time bomb at the heart of our healthcare system.”
She suggested that this research shows the dissatisfaction of the healthcare workers compromises “the very foundation of our NHS”.
Whalley continued: “Thousands of us are demanding better pay, improved working conditions, and comprehensive support systems for our invaluable healthcare professionals.
“We don’t need empty promises; we need tangible investments in the NHS that allow workers to thrive in their roles, without suffering from stress, anxiety and burnout.”
Union members paused plans for more NHS strikes last week after the government proposed a new pay arrangement, but three of the unions (Unison, GMB and the Royal College of Nursing) said it still does not address all of their concerns.
One anonymous community specialist emphasised to Organise how difficult life really is within the entire NHS right now. She said: “Staff are leaving in droves.
“Community used to be a popular job, now we cannot recruit as the job is so stressful and upsetting, we are losing good staff as they are becoming so burnt out and leaving the NHS all together.
“In the time I was off for stress, seven staff members left their jobs. We have only been able to replace two.”
A Sister who works in the hospital nursery expressed a similar sentiment, explaining: “The list of tasks is endless.
“This all impacts patient care. Add to that being short-staffed and the staff on shift who regularly pick up the slack are tired, undervalued, underpaid, overworked and feeling older than their years.”