Recommendation 6

The COVID-19 outbreak presents new challenges, as well as opportunities, for improving the recruitment and retention of nurses in the NHS. In particular, it is vital that the NHS protects the mental health and well-being of nurses who have contributed so much during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHSE&I told us it had put measures in place to support staff, but there are worrying signs of increased levels of stress and burnout since the start of the outbreak, with 90% of nurses reporting higher levels of anxiety in a survey of staff. The NHS also acknowledges that it must do more to improve local leadership and make better use of flexible working arrangements if it is to retain nursing staff in the longer term. HEE also estimates that 20% of final-year students who stepped up to work for the NHS during the outbreak may have difficulty completing the clinical practice hours they need to graduate on time this year. We are also concerned in case the necessary safeguards being put in place to protect Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff, who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, restrict their work experience and career progression. Recommendation: We welcome NHSE&I’s publication of early lessons from COVID-19. NHSE&I should ensure it also makes available a full and frank assessment of the new challenges to nursing recruitment and retention specifically and how health providers should address them, particularly where this could disadvantage certain groups for example students or minority ethnic staff. Recommendation: As part of this assessment, NHSE&I should take stock of the measures in place to support nursing staff’s mental health and wellbeing, to share good practice and identify what else staff may need. 8 NHS nursing workforce 1 Plans for addressing the need for more nurses