Nearly a third of health-care workers suffered from work-related stress last year, prompting speculation that ongoing organisational change in the NHS is having a detrimental impact on employee well-being.
Findings from the ninth annual NHS staff survey revealed that 30 per cent of NHS staff reported they had experienced stress related to their jobs last year – a rise from 29 per cent in 2010 – while, among ambulance staff, the figure hit 34 per cent.
The latter are also more at risk from physical violence. Overall, 8 per cent reported experiencing physical violence from patients, their relatives, or other members of the public in 2011 – but this figure shot up to 20 per cent among ambulance-trust employees, and 12 per cent among staff in mental-health trusts.
Overall, 15 per cent of health-care workers reported they had experienced bullying, harassment and abuse from patients, their relatives, or other members of the public. Again, the figures are higher among all staff in mental-health trusts (17 per cent) and ambulance trusts (31 per cent). Around 15 per cent of staff also reported they had experienced bullying, harassment, or abuse from either their line manager, or other colleagues.
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of incidents of physical violence and more than half of bullying, harassment, or abuse cases (54 per cent) were reported – the same proportions as in 2010. More than half of respondents said they felt their employer would take effective action if staff were physically attacked by patients (57 per cent), or by staff themselves (58 per cent).
Trade union Unison said the findings show community services struggling as the focus is shifting away from acute services towards health care in the community. It is calling for more action and prosecutions to tackle cases of violence and harassment affecting staff.
Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, commented: “The staff survey reflects some of the pressures felt by staff, but our own survey painted a much bleaker picture. Unison’s survey showed that 85 per cent experienced an increase in workload, and 83 per cent suffered an increase in stress over the past year.
“The increase in workload is not a coincidence – it is down to cuts in staffing and to a lack of cover for staff on sick, or on leave. And it is not just staff who suffer – the increase in workload and stress is felt by patients and by workers’ families.”
The NHS workforce in England fell by nearly 20,000 last year to 1,350,000, as the organisation seeks to make efficiency savings of several billion pounds by 2015.
Acknowledging the pressure that this organisational change is having on staff, Dean Royles, director of NHS Employers, said: “NHS organisations, particularly primary care trusts, have undergone significant organisational change in the past year and many staff have found this unsettling. Employers know the value of continuing to communicate with staff to keep them informed of changes to the system and the impact on their work.”
The NHS staff survey findings can be found at www.nhsstaffsurveys.com
