Nursing staff working in England's NHS face a tide of racism, abuse and bullying while an overstretched, under-resourced, underpaid workforce is causing many to work hours without pay and others to work while unwell.
The RCN says the latest NHS Staff Survey findings provide an urgent reality check for government ministers and lay bare the impact of workforce shortages.
The survey shows a shocking 35% have experienced bullying, harassment or abuse at work from patients, their relatives or other members of the public.
Additionally, 14% of nursing and midwifery staff have faced discrimination at work from patients, their relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months, with 66% citing discrimination on the grounds of their ethnic background.
Staff shortages continue to be a huge concern. Only 31% say there are enough staff to enable them to do their job properly, and 45% say they felt unwell due to work-related stress. More than half (58%) came to work despite feeling not well enough to perform their duties, which is a 9% point increase from 2020.
Pay continues to be a significant issue for those on the frontline of care, with just 27% saying they are satisfied with their level of pay. In a worrying sign of workforce shortages, more than half (58%) said they worked unpaid overtime every week and nearly a third (29%) said they often think about leaving their current organisation.
Executive Director of RCN England Patricia Marquis said: “It is disturbing and saddening to see the levels of bullying, abuse, and discrimination aimed at staff as they care for patients. This should send shockwaves through the NHS, government, and society. Racism must be unacceptable in our health care system, and employers and government must take a strong stance on stamping this out.
“When a predominantly female workforce experiences such shocking levels of attacks, it's vital that along with zero tolerance to those who perpetrate this, we must look at what sits behind it. The government must act and deliver an urgent investment in beds and staff to cut waiting times, which have recently hit record levels, and end the frustrations that cause some people to lash out at those trying to deliver care in the most challenging of circumstances.
“Along with the abuse, we're seeing staff hit with high levels of stress in environments where staff shortages are forcing many to work unpaid overtime to keep services running.
“As ministers and NHS leaders focus on cutting costs and driving productivity, we must see a keen focus on the staff who are working harder than ever to deliver the care patients need and deserve.
“A failure to take care of staff will only add to pressures, risk increased levels of abuse, an exodus from the workforce, and put patient care at ever-increased risk.”
