Abstract
Background
Health professional and care staff retention, within the context of labour shortages, represents a key challenge for all European states. The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented rates of voluntary and involuntary staff redeployment within the UK National Health Service (NHS). While negative impacts arising from redeployment might be predicted to be greatest amongst staff unhabituated to intensive care and end of life care roles at the height of the pandemic, established insights from the health sector and beyond, point to an array of potential negative impacts arising from the practice of regular and routinised redeployment. Redeployment at the height of the COVID-19 was necessary to meet the demand for care. However, acute staff shortage has become an enduring feature of the post-pandemic period, with an indication that rates of routinised redeployment may not return to pre-pandemic levels.
The research presented here details longitudinal NHS employee survey findings on the health and well-being of redeployed staff and their disposition/capacity to remain in NHS employment.
Method
Samples of NHS health professionals, care staff, support and administrative employees (N= ~1,500 – ~2,200) completed four snapshot 12-15minute surveys (winter 2020/1 - spring 2023). The survey addressed the impact of a range of variables, including staff resources, workload/demands, working conditions, pay and other background climate factors on staff health, well-being and disposition to stay or leave NHS employment.
Health professional and care staff retention, within the context of labour shortages, represents a key challenge for all European states. The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented rates of voluntary and involuntary staff redeployment within the UK National Health Service (NHS). While negative impacts arising from redeployment might be predicted to be greatest amongst staff unhabituated to intensive care and end of life care roles at the height of the pandemic, established insights from the health sector and beyond, point to an array of potential negative impacts arising from the practice of regular and routinised redeployment. Redeployment at the height of the COVID-19 was necessary to meet the demand for care. However, acute staff shortage has become an enduring feature of the post-pandemic period, with an indication that rates of routinised redeployment may not return to pre-pandemic levels.
The research presented here details longitudinal NHS employee survey findings on the health and well-being of redeployed staff and their disposition/capacity to remain in NHS employment.
Method
Samples of NHS health professionals, care staff, support and administrative employees (N= ~1,500 – ~2,200) completed four snapshot 12-15minute surveys (winter 2020/1 - spring 2023). The survey addressed the impact of a range of variables, including staff resources, workload/demands, working conditions, pay and other background climate factors on staff health, well-being and disposition to stay or leave NHS employment.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 5 Jul 2024 |
| Event | European academy of occupational health psychoiology - Granada, Spain Duration: 3 Jul 2024 → 5 Jul 2024 |
Conference
| Conference | European academy of occupational health psychoiology |
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| Country/Territory | Spain |
| City | Granada |
| Period | 3/07/24 → 5/07/24 |