NHS worker burnout: nearly half looking for new jobs

Nearly half of NHS staff are looking for jobs elsewhere with half showing symptoms of burnout, research from the University of Bath suggests.

The study monitored staff retention for the NHS since the Covid pandemic in 2020.

The latest report contains powerful testimony from frontline workers who say they are “emotionally drained”.

The Department for Health said it was “taking bold action” to address the concerns raised.

The lead researcher said weakening staff commitment to the NHS was “perturbing”.

The university was commissioned by the Economic and Research Council to monitor over four years what has been influencing the retention of health workers after Covid 19.

Its most recent annual report – based on data from YouGov – showed between March 2023 and June 2023, 47% of frontline staff checked job vacancies outside the NHS, with 14% actually applying for non-NHS jobs. That is 10% more than in the first survey in 2020.

Psychological stress, workload, staff shortages and pay were the top four reasons why they were looking to quit – the primary motivation being higher pay. Nearly a quarter of those applications were for supplementary paid work on top of their NHS job.

Testimony gathered by researchers highlight a growing lack of staff commitment to the health service.

“Working for the NHS is soul destroying. I am now burnt out, emotionally drained and exhausted. Most days end in despair and tears. Having to currently work for the NHS is the quite possibly the worst thing I have ever done,” said one acute medical worker.

“We are seeing talented and hardworking paramedics have mental breakdowns and quit on a daily basis. We see consistent impact on patient care, and every shift becomes more and more difficult,” said an emergency medical technician from the ambulance service.

“I would not recommend working in health care to anyone and actively tell my daughter it is the worst career to go into,” reported a nurse in acute care.

“The public and the government do not care about how desperate the people working in the NHS are for change and it kills us,” commented another acute medical worker.

The lead researcher Dr Andrew Weyman said: “Rising reports of shortages of resources, psychological stress, symptoms of burnout, coupled with low confidence of improvement to working condition, in the context of dissatisfaction with pay and evidence of weakening staff commitment to the NHS are particularly perturbing.”

He added this might explain why fewer staff would recommend working for the NHS to others.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “We hugely value NHS staff, which is why we’re listening to their concerns and taking bold action.”

“We’re boosting support, improving line management, and providing access to flexible working.

“The most recent NHS staff survey shows the workforce feels happier than since the start of the pandemic, and there are now record numbers of doctors and nurses working in the health service.

“The first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will put staffing on a sustainable footing and improve culture, leadership, and wellbeing.”