Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

StressMental health conditionsMental healthSickness absence managementOccupational Health

Nurses call for any NHS return to ‘normal’ not to overlook wellbeing

by Nic Paton 9 Mar 2021
by Nic Paton 9 Mar 2021 Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire/PA Images
Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire/PA Images

Any return of the NHS to ‘normal service’ post pandemic must have the patient at its centre, but must also not come at the expense of nurses’ health and wellbeing, the Royal College of Nursing has said.

The college has published a document, Principles for Return to Service, outlining eight key tests it wants to see being met for returning to ‘normal’ in the NHS.

NHS burnout

Burnout and exhaustion stalk NHS response to Covid second wave

Supporting nurses and their mental health in a post-Covid-19 world

Within this, it has called on the government and healthcare employers to focus on patient need and the ability to safely staff services, and to ensure nursing staff are involved in any plans or decisions.

Staffing levels must be addressed as a matter of urgency and must return to pre-Covid-19 levels as a minimum, particularly in areas such as intensive care where ratios were diluted to unsafe levels during the pandemic, it warned.

The principles have also emphasised the importance of nursing staff having timely and ongoing access to mental health and wellbeing services.

The NHS has said it is set to open 40 dedicated mental health support hubs for healthcare workers across England, a move that has been welcomed by the RCN.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

RCN England director Mike Adams said: “Over the last 12 months, nursing staff have been under incredible pressure and we have seen the pandemic take its toll on their mental health. This shows why we need more services like this welcome initiative.

“Our members were reporting high levels of work-related stress and burnout before the pandemic began. We entered this crisis with nearly 40,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England alone and the last year has further highlighted the impact this has on our members’ ability to deliver safe and effective care, and their own wellbeing,” he added.

Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consultant editor at Personnel Today. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for Personnel Today and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
Study into how pandemic has affected health and wellbeing of OH practitioners
next post
Pandemic could leave ‘a hidden epidemic’ of eating disorders

You may also like

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Workers ‘wait and see’ as companies struggle to...

16 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Why HR burnout is a strategic issue

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

Employers urged to do more to tackle loneliness

1 May 2025

Increasing burnout fuelling demand for sabbaticals

30 Apr 2025

Nearly half did not take even one full...

14 Apr 2025

Are employers ready to recruit more people with...

11 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today