Nurses have called for the NHS to be protected as many fear the institution will collapse before its 100th birthday, an exclusive Nursing Times survey has revealed.
Findings have shown that nurses believe poor staff pay, unsafe staffing levels and burnout are the main challenges facing the NHS and the reasons why it remains under extreme pressure.
“I am still proud to be a part of such a unique service but have huge concerns that it may not survive over the next few years of challenges”
Nurse respondent
The survey, carried out in June, was launched as the NHS will be celebrating its 75th birthday on 5 July 2023.
Nursing Times asked nursing professionals for their views on the NHS, nursing’s role within it, the challenges it faces, and its future.
In total, almost 600 people responded to the survey with the majority (90%) describing themselves as registered nurses. Other respondents included nursing associates, healthcare support workers and nursing students.
Of those who responded, 63% said they did not think that the NHS would still exist in another 25 years.
However, 94% of respondents said that the health service deserved to be protected, with many explaining just how much the NHS means to them.
One nurse said: “It has been there for me throughout my life, and now I am working as part of it.
“I am proud to be part of the NHS.”
In addition, a healthcare support worker described how they were proud to work within “one of the best public health systems in the world”.
While the majority of respondents reflected on the NHS favourably, some explained that their perception of the service had changed due to it being under increasing strain.
One nurse said: “I have loved my journey through the NHS with all its ups and downs.
“While I will always consider it a national treasure, I feel it is a dying commodity that cannot continue as it is and that saddens me immensely.”
This was echoed by another nurse, who said: “I am still proud to be a part of such a unique service but have huge concerns that it may not survive over the next few years of challenges without a huge financial focus from the government.”
Meanwhile, another nurse said that over the last 20 years the NHS had had “the generosity stripped from it” due to increasing demands and lack of financial support.
They added: “As I come to the end of my career in the NHS, I am proud to have worked as a nurse but feel deeply frustrated now and sad to see so many colleagues burnt out.”
The snapshot survey revealed that 89% of nurses believed the nursing profession was not sufficiently valued by the health service, compared to just 11% who said it was.
Respondents noted how the role of the nurse was continuing to expand and become more advanced – but warned that they were not always being recognised for this.
One respondent said that “nurses have taken on so much of doctors roles but with no extra money or higher grading for it”.
Similarly, a nurse said: “I have nursed for many years in a number of settings and my role has changed greatly.
“My job role is much more demanding and we are now doing the job that junior doctors did a few years ago.”
Another added: “Nursing has always been a versatile profession but I have seen it progress and change over the years.
“We have so much more responsibility and competence in many areas which I view as positive, however we have not been rewarded financially for this.”
On top of this, some said they were being overburdened with tasks which should sit with other professions, such as pharmacists, social workers, porters, housekeepers, security guards, cleaners and plumbers.
Poor pay was revealed to be one of the biggest challenges facing the NHS right now and something which underpins issues around recruitment and retention, according to respondents.
One student nurse, who also works as a healthcare assistant, said: “The biggest challenges [are] staffing levels and the pressures we face due to NHS staff not receiving the pay we deserve.”
Meanwhile, a nurse said: “The workforce crisis is the biggest challenge to patient safety and therefore the NHS.
“Understaffing, low pay, and the increasingly complex health needs of patients are all contributing to this.”
The negative impact of service pressures on staff morale and patient safety was highlighted elsewhere in the survey.
One nurse said: “I always felt that satisfaction knowing I provided my best care to my patients.
“This has changed as I no longer have job satisfaction, in fact I have anxiety for my patients, myself and colleagues because of the risks to patient safety due to staff shortages.”
Despite the challenges facing the health service, some nurses said they would be joining in with the celebrations taking place at their trust for the 75th birthday of the NHS.
“I’ll be wishing it good luck for the next 75 years with a glass of something fizzy in my hand”
Survey participant
Many described how their trusts would be throwing parties with tea and cake to mark the occasion.
One nurse said: “I will be having a joint celebration as I started my nursing training 40 years ago on 4 July.
“I will raise a glass to both myself and the NHS.”
Meanwhile, another respondent said that they would be retiring the week after the anniversary and would use the day to mark the end of a long career in nursing.
They added: “I’ll be wishing it good luck for the next 75 years with a glass of something fizzy in my hand.
“I’ve worked in the NHS for half of its existence.”
Some respondents said they would celebrate the birthday with some time for “quiet reflection” and “contemplation” about the key role they have played within the health service.
For others, the anniversary will simply mark another day at work where they hope to provide safe and person-centred care to patients, despite some of the challenges they are facing.
“I will be at work, providing care and celebrating the NHS and the difference that it makes to everyone’s to families, communities and myself as an individual,” said one nurse respondent.
Another added that they would be working and “thinking about their 46 years of nursing service”.
“I can remember my first day and how excited I was to be starting my nurse training which I loved,” they said.
In addition, another nurse said: “I will be working, thinking about the developments of the NHS across the last 75 years and also considering how we can overcome the immense challenges we are experiencing across the healthcare system to ensure our NHS continues to provide care to everyone.”