'Grave concern' for A&E staff morale at hospital

Patient numbers have been rising at A&E in Derby

Managers at Royal Derby Hospital have said staff morale and wellbeing in the emergency department (ED) were of "grave concern".

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust said patient numbers had risen sharply and "intentional abuse" of staff by the public was a "growing issue" in A&E.

They have brought in Time to Talk sessions for ED staff and said they were "incredibly grateful for their [staff's] continued resilience".

Mike Henley, representative for the British Medical Association (BMA) in Derby, said: "We're worried about sustainability because the trouble is that once the dominoes start to fall, they can all go down."

The worries about how doctors, nurses and other staff were coping were revealed in a chief operating officer's report to the trust's board.

A&E staff at Royal Derby Hospital saw nearly 4,000 more patients between April and July 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, a rise of 6.6%.

According to the General Medical Council, almost a quarter of all doctors took time off because of stress in 2024, a figure which has doubled in five years.

Doctors' representative Mike Henley says years of austerity have hurt the NHS

Mr Henley said staff shortages were a key part of the increased pressure on A&E.

"Part of it is a knock-on from GPs who are also snowed under - patients therefore have got no option but to come to ED," he added.

"And then the next element is the staff in ED: we've got rota gaps - on any given shift there are about 25% of staff at the resident doctor level that are missing, that simply can't be recruited."

He said while more money was coming into the NHS, it could not immediately fix the problems at hospitals like the Royal Derby.

"You can't take someone who's been on the starvation diet for 15 years and then suddenly feed them one day and expect them to be back to full fitness, they're not," he added.

The NHS's Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025 to 2026 acknowledges the "burnout" that front-line staff feel and "sometimes heartbreaking descriptions of terrible experiences" from patients.

The plan states: "We must do everything we can to significantly improve Urgent and Emergency Care services this winter compared to what our patients and staff have experienced in recent years."

Help to ease pressures

A trust spokesperson said they were grateful for how staff had responded to rising patient numbers, which were "placing extra pressure on them and our services".

They added "we are committed to staff wellbeing", and pointed to the support on offer as well as the campaign against abuse towards staff.

"While our staff will always be here to provide emergency care, the public can help to ease pressures by using A&E appropriately and considering alternatives like NHS 111 when their condition is not life-threatening," they said.

Mr Henley said the trust needed to make sure it responded to its staff during the new Time to Talk sessions.

"I think if it's just a talking shop, I'm afraid that's not going to be effective. Real action is needed," he added.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This government inherited an emergency care system on its knees, and we know many NHS staff feel burnt out and demoralised, having been overworked for years.

"We are working at pace to turn the tide - we have delivered above-inflation pay rises to health and care staff, and our 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure they are better treated and that the NHS has the right people in the right places.

"We're investing £450m to provide new ambulances, reduce lengthy waits and help to winter-proof our NHS - getting patients seen quicker and reducing pressure on hard-working NHS staff."