Hospitals and care homes across the UK are facing a severe staffing crisis, with nursing staff continuing to work while unwell and stress now the leading cause of illness, according to a major Royal College of Nursing (RCN) survey.
The survey, which gathered responses from more than 20,000 nurses, paints a stark picture of the realities facing the NHS and social care sector. It shows that pressure and understaffing are making nursing staff sick while creating risks for patient safety.
Survey Findings Highlight Crisis
- Two thirds (66%) of nurses report working when they should be on sick leave multiple times a year, up from 49% in 2017.
- Stress is the top cause of illness, cited by 65.1% of staff, an increase from 50% in 2017.
- Seven in ten staff (70.4%) work beyond contracted hours at least once a week, with around half (52.1%) doing so unpaid.
Nurses and care staff gave testimony describing the overwhelming pressures. One NHS nurse in an older people’s ward said staff “go home sick with anxiety” when covering shortages in other departments. A staff nurse in an independent care home said they dreaded work due to chronic understaffing and the expectation to work extra unpaid hours.
A community nurse in England described managing large caseloads as “fighting fire with my hands tied behind my back,” while a social care nurse in Northern Ireland warned that managing 18 residents with complex needs left staff “spread too thinly with potential for disaster.”
Burnout Crisis Confirmed by Advice Line Calls
The RCN also reports an average of six daily calls from members experiencing burnout, panic attacks, and exhaustion caused by staffing pressures. Staff reported being unable to take basic breaks or annual leave, leading to severe mental and physical strain.
The number of calls is expected to rise to 2,175 by the end of 2025, up from 2,026 in 2024. The RCN notes that this likely underestimates the true scale, as only the most serious cases are reported.
Calls for Investment and Nurse-Patient Ratios
The survey underscores the urgent need for investment in the nursing workforce. England alone currently has over 25,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said:
“Nursing staff are being driven to ill health from working in understaffed and under resourced services. Many feel they cannot take time off for fear of leaving colleagues to cope with brutal pressures. This is simply unsustainable.
“These findings are yet more cold, hard evidence that there are too few nursing staff to meet growing demand. Urgent investment is needed to expand the workforce and ensure staff can work in a safe environment. This must include safety-critical nurse-patient ratios across all health and care settings.”
The RCN Employment Survey, the largest national survey of nursing staff in the UK, will release its full findings next month.
