The NHS is in a mess over stress

Stress is rife in the NHS, and employers themselves acknowledge that they are not doing enough to tackle it.

Workplace stress in the NHS, a report published by the NHS Employers body last month to coincide with Stress Awareness Day, found that most organisations in the health service do not follow even the most basic health and safety procedures to tackle stress.

In a survey of NHS professionals, only 29% of respondents said their organisation had a stress policy, and only 35% said it had carried out a stress risk assessment on staff. The rest either hadn't carried out an assessment, or didn't know if they had.

Around three-quarters offered stress counselling, but under half provided stress management training.

This is despite the fact that 62% thought that up to half their employees might be under stress within their organisation.

Commenting on the results, UNISON public services union noted that NHS organisations were relying on counselling or stress management rather than seeking to prevent stress in the first place.

"Employers have to start addressing the real issues behind stress, such as long hours, staff shortages, bullying and excessive demands, rather than looking at quick-fix solutions," said Karen Jennings, UNISON's head of health.

The union is backing a new campaign, How are you doing?, launched by NHS Employers. Aimed at both workers and managers, it features a wealth of information and case studies about stress, with booklets and posters as well as the Workplace stress in the NHS report available from the campaign website at www. nhsemployers.org/stress