Review as ‘crisis’ nurses tell of low morale at hospital
AN “IMMEDIATE review” is being undertaken into the working conditions and treatment of nurses at a Welsh hospital, a health boss has confirmed.
It comes after Ynys Môn MS Rhun ap Iorwerth called for an independent probe following revelations made by nursing staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd.
They included claims of workplace bullying, increased pressure for nurses to move from specialist areas to other wards and departments placing patients “at risk”.
They also said they had to endure “unreasonably long working hours, poor relationship with management resulting in low morale” which, it is claimed, is causing many staff to leave.
One nurse, who asked not to be named, said: “Burnout is at an alltime high at the site amongst nurses and other healthcare workers, and staff morale has never been so low. Many have chosen to leave their posts. We already work long hours and then feel pressured to take on more shifts – often redeployed to areas where we do not specialise – to help with staffing shortages. It is impossible to possess a high standard of nursing knowledge for every speciality that an individual could be covering from one day to the next.
“The situation has been escalating for years and has now reached a crisis stage with no solution.”
Mr ap Iorwerth had written to the chief executive and chairman of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board calling for “serious, urgent action”.
Chief executive Jo Whitehead said: “We are taking these concerns very seriously and are undertaking an immediate review into them.”
As Plaid Cymru spokesman on Health and Care, Mr ap Iorwerth raised the matter with Health Minister Eluned Morgan at the Senedd last week, prompting many more nurses to share similar experiences.
Among the correspondence received, many nurses confirmed they had left posts at Ysbyty Gwynedd or the profession entirely, and many were considering leaving.
“What’s hugely worrying is the impact that the current working conditions are having on staff numbers and morale. Some have concluded that they want to leave their posts, many have already left,” he said.
“At a time when we face staff shortages following the pandemic, we need to be looking at new ways of attracting new nurses to the profession and increasing training places. We must also be able to retain the staff we have, with their invaluable experience and knowledge.”
Ms Whitehead said: “We are committed to ensuring that all staff feel safe to raise concerns in a way that enables us to improve as an organisation and as an employer.
“Having listened to staff feedback, we recently introduced a new Speak Out Safely process, supported by a range of mechanisms to enable staff to raise issues anonymously but also enabling us to communicate with them to ensure they can be clear on what is being done to address these concerns.
“It is clear that not all staff feel that it is safe to speak out. It is important to us that we continue to improve the confidence of colleagues that their concerns will be addressed in a constructive way.”
Mr ap Iorwerth went on to welcome figures released by the Nursing and Midwifery Council which showed an “increase in staff registering to work over the past year”.
But, he added, it was really worrying to see “that there has also been an increase in the number of people leaving the profession too”.