Leaders concerned about virus impact on staff

Chief executives from across the NHS in England have become seriously concerned about their staff, with increased levels of anxiety and fatigue being reported during the pandemic.

Citing additional concern for NHS organisations with higher numbers of black and ethnic minority (BAME) staff, the NHS Confederation also revealed concern about the impact of the pandemic on poorer communities and the fear among leaders that they could face another major surge in the virus.

The NHS Confederation’s new report is based on interviews with 13 NHS chief executives and arrives ahead of guidance expected later this week from NHS England and NHS Improvement which will outline the next phase of the NHS response to the pandemic.

The report found several key themes, including chief executives expressing concern about the challenge of protecting the safety of patients and staff as routine services are resumed alongside services for coronavirus patients. This is in addition to leadership concerns about the long-term mental health impact on their staff, with many having already provided mental health support within their organisations.  

Everyone also stressed how vital it was for front-line staff to have the support and resources they needed, including psychological support, personal protective equipment (PPE) and access to regular testing.

Siobhan Harrington, chief executive of Whittington Health NHS Trust, said: “Dealing with the effects of Covid-19 has been a challenge on the NHS and its staff, both physically and mentally. Our staff have gone above and beyond, but this has left its mark, with increased levels of anxiety and fatigue. We are encouraging staff to take a break and care for each other, as well as avail of local wellbeing support in our organisations and systems. As we face a potential second wave and another tough winter, I am concerned about the long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of our staff. We will continue to put measures in place to support staff, as looking after our people needs to remain a priority for us all.”

NHS Confederation also highlights how the pandemic has hit the poorest hardest and how all the chief executives interviewed were concerned about the continuing impact it will have on deprived  communities. They believe the NHS is more than ‘just’ a health care provider and has a key role in supporting their local communities.

The paper further stresses the need for continuing to introduce innovation at speed and scale, additional steps to make it easier for health and care services to work together and ongoing support for the role of NHS England and NHS Improvement since the pandemic hit, but there were concerns over the amount and type of information demanded from national bodies. The chief executives want to see changes from the Care Quality Commission and recommend that inspections do not return to their previous form.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “The last five months have turned the NHS inside out. The extent of changes across the health service has been extraordinary and has been achieved by a Herculean effort from managers, clinicians and support staff.

“This report provides insight into the experiences of NHS leaders who found themselves in charge of highly complex organisations at a time of an unprecedented national emergency, when all eyes were on them and their teams to prevent an even greater catastrophe. It highlights the many positive changes that have come about which need to be built upon as we step tentatively to a new normal. But it also reveals the huge strain that has been placed on staff and the challenge NHS leaders face in ensuring staff in their organisations get the right psychological and other support that they will need.”