Can we reduce the risk of burnout?

Workforce shortages and the resultant impact on nurses (and other healthcare workers), of burnout were cited as the key driver of what was described as ‘an emergency situation’ by a group of MPs who met in June as part of the Parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee (2021).

The committee, chaired by former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, found that gaps in rotas meant the staff who were on shifts were struggling with ‘chronic excessive workloads’. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) told the committee that, before the onset of COVID-19, the UK had 50 000 NHS nursing vacancies and nearly a quarter of nurses were considering quitting. During an evidence session to the committee, Professor Michael West from The King's Fund explained the links between chronic excessive workloads and burnout. He told the committee:

‘The danger is that we do not see it. It is like the pattern on the wallpaper that we no longer see, but it is the number one predictor of staff stress and staff intention to quit. It is also the number one predictor of patient dissatisfaction. It is highly associated with the level of errors.’