Unsafe staffing in NHS hospitals is getting more prevalent, according to the first-hand experiences of nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The union Unison will tomorrow publish the latest results from its Only Enough is Enough campaign, which sees healthcare workers completing short surveys at the end of their shifts.
“Nursing staff are often unable to provide vital care or administer pain relief to their patients on time”
Stuart Tuckwood
Between October and November 2024, 1,470 surveys were completed by staff from more than 40 hospitals across the three countries, the majority of whom were nurses or healthcare support workers.
On 69% of shifts, health workers reported that there were not enough staff to deliver safe patient care, according to the results seen early by Nursing Times.
This marked an increase from the 63% who said the same thing when Unison carried out similar surveys with hospital staff in 2023.
As part of the surveys, clinical staff were asked about whether any “nursing red flag events” occurred during their shift.
The red flag system was created by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2014 to help nurses identify when their ward may be unsafe.
The new Unison research found that a red flag event happened on more than half (56%) of all shifts – but were much more common on those that were understaffed (67%) than those that were well staffed (16%).
For example, a delay greater than 30 minutes in providing pain relief was reported on more than half (54%) of understaffed shifts, compared with 12% on those where enough staff were present.
Meanwhile, staff reported that patients did not have their vital signs checked as per their care plan on 33% of poorly staffed shifts, compared with 6% of safely staffed ones.
There was a similar pattern seen in the percentage of staff who said important nursing tasks were delayed or not performed during their shifts.
Overall, 71% of respondents said these tasks were delayed or missed – but this increased to 83% when just looking at unsafely staffed shifts, compared with 28% of safely staffed ones.
Unison national nursing officer Stuart Tuckwood said: “These figures show staffing levels across the health service are alarmingly low on a regular basis.
“Nursing staff are often unable to provide vital care or administer pain relief to their patients on time.
“Workers are desperate for help from their employers, but there’s little action when they report their concerns.”
He said the data should be a “wake-up call for health service leaders given the state of NHS finances and talk of cuts”, and called for urgent investment in hospital staffing.
