Why health workers are leaving in droves from major hospital
THE cost of living, long commutes, excessive workload, and onerous rosters were given as reasons for healthcare workers resigning from one of the capital’s busiest hospitals.
An exit survey of staff from Beaumont Hospital details a wide variety of causes for their departures, at a time when almost every major hospital is facing challenges in retaining employees and attracting new ones.
The study, obtained by the Irish Daily Mail following a Freedom of Information request, showed 12% of staff left Beaumont for an ‘improved commute’. And 11% had to give up their job due to the ‘cost of living’ in the Greater Dublin area.
The most significant factor cited – by 13% of departing employees – in the exit survey was ‘work-life balance’, and 12% were moving on because of promotion or a new career development opportunity.
Around one in six of the staff leaving the large teaching hospital were planning to move abroad. Half of them to take up another healthcare job overseas and the other half for travel reasons.
Problems at work were also cited with 10% blaming ‘excessive workload’, 9% unhappy with ‘onerous rosters [or] shifts’ and 8% saying there was a ‘lack of senior support’.
In more detailed feedback given as part of the exit survey, one in five of those leaving said their job description did not accurately reflect their role or responsibilities. Some said there was ‘no apparent difference’ in the workload between junior and senior grades. Others said their responsibilities had grown beyond what was listed for their role – the job descriptions seemed outdated.
Asked how their work could be structured differently, some departing staff said they would have liked ‘clearer guidance and support’ as well as less physical paperwork, and better use of technology.
Of the 140 who responded, from a total of 446 people who left Beaumont in 2022, 44% felt their views and suggestions were not considered.
The report said: ‘Ideas and suggestions are often dismissed under the guise of “no staff” or “not enough money”.’ Although management were supportive, ‘very little was implemented’. Other issues included health and wellbeing of employees as well as familyfriendly policies with significant numbers saying policy in these areas was only ‘fair’ or ‘poor’.
The majority of staff believed policies around age, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation were between ‘good’ and ‘excellent’.
There were significant issues
‘Values feedback of employees’
around maintaining a good work-life balance, with 45% saying the ability to take breaks was only fair or poor.
Nearly half the exiting staff surveyed said that flexibility around working arrangements was unsatisfactory while 50% said stress management supports were only fair or poor.
A spokesperson for the hospital said: ‘Beaumont values the feedback of current and former employees. The purpose of conducting exit interviews is improvement.’
Figures from the INMO show, as of Monday, Beaumont had just seven patients on a trolley in A&E and none on its wards.