Study finds ethnicity, mental health and age predict NHS workers’ plans to quit

Around 43 per cent of NHS workers who took part in a recent study have considered leaving their role or taking early retirement.

The national study, published today in Lancet Europe, also discovered a striking link between suffering from symptoms of depression, anxiety or PTSD, and wanting to leave healthcare.

Through the UK-REACH I-CARE study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), researchers at the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), University College London (UCL) and the University of Glasgow investigated the contexts and reasons why staff may wish to leave the NHS workforce.

They analysed questionnaire data collected as part of the UK-REACH (United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity and COVID-19 outcomes in Healthcare workers) study from UK healthcare workers in 2023-2024 to identify factors associated with intentions and actions to leave the healthcare workforce

One of the lead researchers, the University of Leicester’s Professor Manish Pareek, from the Department of Respiratory Sciences, said: “The 3,282 people who took part in our study have given us vital insight and evidence about which groups are at greatest risk of leaving the NHS workforce and why.

“What is most concerning is that nearly half of healthcare workers we surveyed had considered or taken steps towards leaving healthcare.

“Those most likely to report intending to leave were aged between 50 and 60, Asian, and are working in dental and nursing roles. There was also a clear association between poor mental health and intending to leave the NHS.

“Sadly, we also found that discrimination and harassment by colleagues and patients were associated with planning to leave.”

Professor of Medical Education Research at UCL Medical School, Katherine Woolf, added: “Good patient care relies on having a healthcare service that it is properly staffed, and the NHS is the largest and most diverse employer in the UK.  

“Our findings from I-CARE so far suggest that the NHS needs to implement policies that more effectively tackle workforce discrimination and provide more effective mental health support. Supportive and collaborative environments, and opportunities for personal development could all also have a positive impact.

“We have an established stakeholder group including representation from NHS England and NHS employers along with professional regulators. This group has been engaged with the study throughout and will work with the study team to co-design policy reforms and training materials that are achievable and support implementation."

Professor Pareek added: “I-CARE is part of the overarching UK-REACH study and the latest questionnaire is now open for completion by all UK-REACH cohort participants.

“It will help us to further our understanding of these important issues and we encourage all healthcare workers who are part of the cohort to respond. We are also currently recruiting new participants who have joined the healthcare workforce since January 2021.

“Please visit uk-reach.org.uk/main/login to register and complete the questionnaire. 

“We’ll also soon be carrying out more interviews and focus groups with staff and NHS managers, with the ultimate aim of developing interventions with NHS policy-makers, staff and patients that encourage valued colleagues to stay.”

The I-CARE study team also includes researchers from the Ethox Centre at Oxford Population Health and universities of Surrey and Glasgow and London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

Professor Vittal Katikireddi, at the University of Glasgow, added: “Given the substantial challenges the NHS is facing at this time, it is essential we do all we can to retain the expert staff that we all rely on. Improving the working environment of staff is an important priority to ensure the sustainability of our health system for the future.”

For more information about the I-CARE survey, or to take part, please visit: www.UK-REACH.org