A nurse in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK, live-tweeted his resignation from the National Health Service (NHS) citing the lack of quality care and the increased number of staff departures.
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Mass Exodus and Suicide
In his tweet, he states that he had seen an “exodus of staff. I have seen colleagues commit suicide. I am done, and I am handing in my notice today.” Matt Osborne has been a nurse for 19 years and has worked in emergency care for 14 years.
The tweet has sparked support from nurses around the world.
I have seen an exodus of staff.
— Matthew (@Matthew0sb0rne) March 29, 2023
I have seen colleagues commit suicide.
I am done, and I am handing in my notice today.
The Royal College of Nursing expressed its concern over the “awful” number of people leaving the NHS and emphasized the need for change.
Osborne’s tweet tagged Anna Firth, Conservative MP for Southend West, which covers the hospital. He expresses anxiety over going to work for another emergency shift and admitted he did not want to go in.
@Conservatives @Anna_Firth @JamesDuddridge
— Matthew (@Matthew0sb0rne) March 29, 2023
Sitting here at 5 in the morning, having worked one ED shift yesterday and "anxiously" waiting to get ready for the next one, I find I don't want to go in.
ED care is broken.
Osborne stated that emergency department care is broken, and the quality of care has been in decline for the last decade. He cited an increasing number of issues over nurse-to-patient ratios and the emotional toll of seeing patients on their best and worst days of their lives.
Quality of Care and Staff Shortages
According to Mr. Osborne via BBC, “there is a constant pressure on a day-to-day basis in the emergency department due to the lack of available social care, unavailability of beds for admission, and longer hours of waiting.”
He praised NHS emergency care for how it dealt with those critically unwell. However, he finds himself spending a lot of time apologizing to people for not being able to deliver the “service they deserve.”
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Southend University Hospital, however, said it had seen an increase in the number of nurses and had employed 3,000 new starters.
Government Funding and Staffing
The hospital has secured £8m in government funding to expand its A&E department. The Department of Health and Social Care said it was recruiting more NHS staff, with almost 11,100 more nurses across the country compared to a year ago.
They have also provided a package of mental health support to prioritize the health and wellbeing of staff. The Department of Health and Social Care will soon publish a long-term workforce plan to support and grow the workforce and ease the pressures on healthcare staff.
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Final Thoughts On Nursing Shortage
Mr. Osborne’s resignation highlights the ongoing challenges faced not only by NHS nurses and the USA’s healthcare system as well. Just recently, an infant was stuck at the hospital for a month due shortage of home health nurses.
The need for change and improvement is crucial to maintain the quality of care and prevent further departures from staff. The increase in government funding and the recruitment of more staff is a positive step towards alleviating the issues faced by healthcare staff.
However, more needs to be done to improve the working conditions and reduce the emotional toll on healthcare professionals. Furthermore, we must prioritize the health and wellbeing of our healthcare staff, who work tirelessly to provide essential care to patients, often at their own expense.