If you work for NHS do you ever feel like giving up?

[Pileonsally]

I work for NHS and have always felt its a rewarding job, supporting people in crisis, making a difference.
However last 18mths I feel like giving up. I have no resources to help. No staff. Massive workload. Feel im constantly letting patients down and surrounded by poor care (due to lack of resources, not the wonderful staff).
Feel like getting out but then feel so sad giving up.
Also no idea what else I can do?

Does anyone else feel like this ?

@Stompythedinosaur there seems a great failing within the nhs of budget allocation. Clinical teams understaffed, admin teams over staffed. We have double the amount of admin needed, and still recruiting. If the budget isn't allocated, it's lost. Surely the budget would be better used towards under staffed areas ?
Working within an overstaffed team is demoralising and soul destroying. I made the decision to leave the private corporate industry to work for the nhs, took the pay cut accordingly. It is not the worthwhile role I thought it would be.

@Isitbedtimeyet10 ah overstaffed admin, very different, I'm sure stompy and I had impression you were overstaffed with CPNs which is unheard of!

@MichelleScarn

Yes, and posts like one recently with a complaint about a 2hr wait for an ambulance after a fall, and then not being seen immediately in ED after triage, and the awful nurses not checking in to see about drinks wanted, are so demoralising. None of the above is great, but show complete disregard for the nightmare state of poor staffing and general armageddon we are dealing with now.

The public can complain - it's not always an attack on the nurses. It naturally will be demoralising but people talking about their poor experiences is a way of sharing information and perhaps an impetus to drive change - or sway votes.

@LonstantonSpiceMuseum absolutely I agree and like my colleagues encourage people to complain when necessary. However there are times when it absolutely is a attack on the nursing and other staff.

I work in Mental Health, and I feel exactly the same. We are dangerously understaffed most of the time, and are being given more acutely unwell and dangerous patients, so staff morale is really low. The team I work with is amazing, but most of us want to leave and would rather work in Tesco than do this job anymore.

[quote Isitbedtimeyet10]@Stompythedinosaur there seems a great failing within the nhs of budget allocation. Clinical teams understaffed, admin teams over staffed. We have double the amount of admin needed, and still recruiting. If the budget isn't allocated, it's lost. Surely the budget would be better used towards under staffed areas ?
Working within an overstaffed team is demoralising and soul destroying. I made the decision to leave the private corporate industry to work for the nhs, took the pay cut accordingly. It is not the worthwhile role I thought it would be.[/quote]
I agree that overstaffed admin is wasteful if that's the case, but the issue across MH as a whole is a lack of qualified clinical staff. Can advertise and allocate as much budget as you like, but chances are roles won't be filled. It's scary really.

Peacock agreed. My current team has less than half the available nurse roles filled. We just can't seem to employ anyone with experience, there just aren't enough nurses.

With respect sometimes complaints are an attack on the nurses and other staff because the complaint is genuine and not just an “attack”
Non of us like to hear our area of work criticised when we know of so many hard working and genuine staff (I work in elderly nursing care).
Sometimes that criticism is genuine and those staff need complaints lodged against them. I have seen some terrible carers and nursing staff and also many many excellent ones.
The NHS does not work well with complaints as we are all supposed to be grateful endlessly of the amazing free service. However when the amazing free service is an absolute shambles for a particular patient then we are supposed to look the other way or be critical as they are daring to complain about the angels in the NHS or the free treatment. (Most are angels by the way)
It does not lead to better practice as it’s not taken seriously like you picking out the issues and belittling them like the patient dating to complain about not having a drink in 9 hours or whatever. I mean she’s having a free service and she wants a drink as well!! Gosh the cheek of the woman and so complaints are ignored as seen as an attack.
People complain in other sectors all the time.
I don’t know what the answer is but it’s the same in the elderly care sector, staff leaving in droves and even agencies cannot provide staff anymore we just end up working short on shifts which leads to more staff leaving.

I feel exactly the same. Nursing since 1997, now broken. I used to LOVE my job, however, COVID changed everything, too many patients, not enough time or staff, everyone drowning in a sea of overwork and despair, staff crying in their rooms just holding on while the patients understandably don’t know why we are unable to see them as quickly anymore as they can’t see our workload has tripled in the last 18 months so they are grumpy.
I’m making a last ditch attempt to stay in nursing by swapping roles but I do fear that if this doesn’t help this may be the end of my nursing career.

Yep I moved to Pharma a couple of months ago as I got so fed up of being expected to do double the workload with a quarter of the resources. Also get paid a heck of a lot more now...

Yes. Pretty much all of my team have left.

Huge caseload, no resources, angry patients (who - if I’m honest - aren’t mentally ill as such but are just unhappy with their lives because life can be shit), the ones who are mentally ill don’t get the care they need… it’s just demoralising and heartbreaking

I would go private but I’m new enough to still feel duty-bound

@ilovebagpuss

With respect sometimes complaints are an attack on the nurses and other staff because the complaint is genuine and not just an “attack” Non of us like to hear our area of work criticised when we know of so many hard working and genuine staff (I work in elderly nursing care). Sometimes that criticism is genuine and those staff need complaints lodged against them. I have seen some terrible carers and nursing staff and also many many excellent ones. The NHS does not work well with complaints as we are all supposed to be grateful endlessly of the amazing free service. However when the amazing free service is an absolute shambles for a particular patient then we are supposed to look the other way or be critical as they are daring to complain about the angels in the NHS or the free treatment. (Most are angels by the way) It does not lead to better practice as it’s not taken seriously like you picking out the issues and belittling them like the patient dating to complain about not having a drink in 9 hours or whatever. I mean she’s having a free service and she wants a drink as well!! Gosh the cheek of the woman and so complaints are ignored as seen as an attack. People complain in other sectors all the time. I don’t know what the answer is but it’s the same in the elderly care sector, staff leaving in droves and even agencies cannot provide staff anymore we just end up working short on shifts which leads to more staff leaving.

There are many justified complaints (usually exasperated by low staffing levels that leads to a drop in care) that in my experience are addressed if communicated through the right channels eg through PALS. However, a lot of people's expectations seem to be wildly high now, some we have are bordering on ridiculous. I do think though about some of those that they can't realise the staff levels are so dangerously low, so in many ways perhaps we have done a good job in regard to maskinf that and not passing on the stress raging through all of us as we try and keep up with the bare minimum with hardly any staff. A lot would be shocked I think to know the reality.

Sometimes, but not often. I work in primary care and it’s tough. Contrary to popular belief we haven’t been shut for 18 months, we’re not sat behind closed doors making TikTok videos and eating biscuits. We’re working 10-15 hour days and drowning.

I love my job, I’m very lucky in that I have a manageable workload and great GPs who are supportive and kind and professional. 90% of our patients are wonderful. However I have the easy job compared to the doctors. Their workload is unsustainable and I don’t know how they do it. One of our salaried GPs has left and a partner is planning on leaving soon. Pre Covid it was hard, now it’s really REALLY hard.

I have so much respect and sympathy for my hospital and mental health colleagues, they’ve really got the shitty end of the stick.

If it wasn't for my line manager and a couple of other of my colleagues, I would have been gone by now. If my line manager does leave I will be looking for another job.

Just a FYI that moving into the private sector isn’t necessarily any easier. I left the NHS to work in a private hospital, the staffing is really poor (if not worse than the NHS). I’ve seen some pretty poor practice and received little training. I also don’t have any security of just being a band 5 so I’m doing things like phone triage which is terrifying when you have no experience of it. Oh and the money is a fucking insult.

Me too. Been in NHS for 31 years. It’s dire at the moment.
I had planned to hang on for my pension but that’s not going to be as ‘golden’ as promised and I’m thinking of cutting my losses and getting out soon with my sanity and professional reputation intact.
What a shame for everyone that experienced staff leave and there’s no queue of people to take over.

Nhs 16 years . Qualified in December. Have a job interview in 2 weeks for our local hospice.

A couple of years ago I interviewed for jobs outside the nhs, to my surprise when the department I was working for found out they made huge efforts to keep me and after their considerable efforts to facilitate my career progression that followed I am still working at least partly for the nhs.

Don’t be afraid to look at leaving but also to discuss what has to change for you to stay with your current job.

Yeah, I was so burnt out I left. I'm now in a much better role and I don't cry before, during or after work.

I felt like this before the pandemic. Moved to locumming, never been happier.

See my patients, do my work, go home and enjoy my life. Management not my problem any more.

Once a year I do mandatory training where we are all agency staff, every has the same story. Lots of people have left due to Covid and now like picking and choosing their hours, focussing on clinical not meetings, don't have to go back to an unpleasant workplace.

Don’t be afraid to look at leaving but also to discuss what has to change for you to stay with your current job.

I work on a dementia ward. We have no staff, I know I will be making the situation worse by leaving. We have patients with capacity 1:1 those that don't. It's dangerous. We put in datix and nothing changes. I was seriously hurt by a patient in March , 7 weeks off work. I got sanctioned with sickness.
Was meant to be in today. I had a panic attack. Now off sick

Struck by the ‘we ain’t got no staff’ posts followed by the inevitable ‘so I went off sick fully paid for six months’.

I’m a fan of the NHS and worried you have no idea of the comments coming your way from the electorate. The real victims, sorry patients. Most UK workers don’t get sick leave paid at all, for a start.

Cos Covid won’t cut it forever.

@Supersimkin2

Struck by the ‘we ain’t got no staff’ posts followed by the inevitable ‘so I went off sick fully paid for six months’.

I’m a fan of the NHS and worried you have no idea of the comments coming your way from the electorate. The real victims, sorry patients. Most UK workers don’t get sick leave paid at all, for a start.

Cos Covid won’t cut it forever.

Really? That's your response to someone whos shared that they were assaulted at work and seriously hurt? Although the rest of your post is enlightening yo your mindset.

@Supersimkin2

Struck by the ‘we ain’t got no staff’ posts followed by the inevitable ‘so I went off sick fully paid for six months’.

I’m a fan of the NHS and worried you have no idea of the comments coming your way from the electorate. The real victims, sorry patients. Most UK workers don’t get sick leave paid at all, for a start.

Cos Covid won’t cut it forever.

So after being attacked by a bariatric patient who yanked that hard on my arm damaging the muscle ligaments that I am to be grateful that I get sick pay ? That I should listen to the bloody electorate . Sorry while I laugh. I have been punched by patients, I get verbally and physically abused. But this is ok as it's at work , but if I had posted that my husband had done this the sympathy I would get. Double standards of public who know nothing.

@Supersimkin2

Struck by the ‘we ain’t got no staff’ posts followed by the inevitable ‘so I went off sick fully paid for six months’.

I’m a fan of the NHS and worried you have no idea of the comments coming your way from the electorate. The real victims, sorry patients. Most UK workers don’t get sick leave paid at all, for a start.

Cos Covid won’t cut it forever.

Plenty of jobs if you'd like to join and benefit from sick pay, usually taken as a result of staff at physical and mental breaking point.