On the 27th of February 2023, HSIB released an interim report exploring the impact of staff wellbeing on patient safety. Key findings include the ‘significant distress’ experienced by staff when talking about their working environment, their feelings on their decision making and the burden of moral injury.
Staff also told HSIB about how it negatively affected them outside of work leading to ‘isolation and despair’ for some after difficult days. The report highlighted that the majority of support was only reactive and that there are significant waiting lists for such services and that some are subject to funding cuts. This has led to HSIB making a much welcomed safety recommendation aiming to interlink the two separate national plans relating to patient safety and wellbeing of staff as they recognise that staff health and wellbeing are a critical component of patient safety.