The NHS Alliance has called for a national campaign to improve respect towards healthcare staff. Backing the announcement, President of the British Psychological Society Dr Roman Raczka said:
“NHS staff already face ever increasing pressures, which is further exacerbated by the unacceptable rise of abusive behaviour and acts of violence towards staff, worsening the challenges that currently face the workforce. This negative experience for staff is known to cause moral injury and have a corrosive impact on people’s health and wellbeing. This must not be overlooked. According to the latest NHS Staff Survey, 42% of staff suffered from work-related stress in the last year, and nearly a third suffered from burnout because of their work.
“The NHS 10-Year Workforce Plan must include effective support for healthcare staff at scale, including mental health support. We simply must support those who care for us when we are most in need. We now await further detail of the new Staff Treatment Hubs and will work with NHS, the government, and our members and partners, to ensure they are fit for purpose. This should serve as a timely reminder that you can only have an NHS that is ‘fit for the future’ if you have a well workforce.”