Health staff struggle

Surging Omicron cases are leaving hospitals struggling to cope and health workers guilt-stricken at the potential harm to patients, according to reports received by public services union UNISON from staff at 40 NHS trusts across England.

For one week last month, UNISON’s acute, ambulance and community health branches across England provided the union with reports on the state of local staffing levels.

Nurses, porters, healthcare assistants and other NHS staff told of their growing anxiety that acute staffing shortages are forcing them to work outside their normal areas of expertise. They also voiced concern about the impact of lengthy treatment delays on patient recovery and survival.

First-hand accounts from the union’s health branches suggest trust managers are resorting to desperate measures, the union said.

These include chasing staff off sick to return early, directing those on wards to send patients home more quickly and asking exhausted employees to cancel annual leave as well as take on extra shifts.

Information provided by staff reveals employers are attempting to tackle workforce gaps by cancelling operations, reducing appointments and frequently moving staff around to provide critical cover.

UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “The pandemic has shown what happens when too few staff try to do the jobs of many thousands. Ministers must act now, pay the wages NHS staff deserve and do their utmost to solve this damaging staffing crisis.”