WORRYING data suggests nurses and midwives across the Bradford district have major concerns over staffing levels.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the results of the latest NHS staff survey, which was published this week, show patients across are at risk of receiving poor care - or even being harmed - due to shortages.

The union said many nurses feel “stressed, overstretched and burnt out” and one MP said clapping for the NHS, as became customary during the pandemic, was not a solution. 

The survey was carried out between September and November last year and the responses shone a harsh spotlight on the concerns of those on Bradford’s frontline. As part of the survey, registered nurses and midwives were asked ‘are there enough staff at this organisation for me to do my job properly?’

At Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes major hospitals including Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s Hospital, just 15.3 per cent of respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed.

That’s down from 32.2 per cent in 2020.

At Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCT), which oversees mental health, community and learning disability services, the figure was 20.7 per cent, down from 31.8 per cent in 2020.

And at Airedale, 25.6 per cent of survey respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed, down from 33.9 per cent.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals and Airedale were unable to provide comments, but a spokesperson for BDCT said: “It has been a difficult couple of years for our staff who have worked hard to continue to deliver the best possible care for the people who use our services and their families.

“Like all NHS Trusts recruiting professional healthcare staff in the current climate can be a challenge.

"We are working closely with partner agencies, regionally and nationally, along with our internal recruitment team to create innovative new ways of attracting and maintaining new staff.

“We also continue to develop our positive relationships with further and higher education providers.”

They added: “It’s crucial that we continue to support our current staff with their health and wellbeing utilising our dedicated staff wellbeing team and comprehensive offer to support staff, and their families, where they might need it. We continue to listen to staff feedback and act on it where required.”

Results from every NHS trust across the region reflect the same worrying picture - nurses and midwives do not feel staffing levels are sufficient.

Sarah Dodsworth, regional director for RCN Yorkshire and the Humber region, said the survey results reiterate “what the RCN has been saying for years - there simply are not enough nurses across the region”.

She said: “There are nearly 5,100 vacancies for NHS nurses across Yorkshire and the North East and this number has barely changed in the past four years.

“The results of the survey suggest that in some health trusts the staffing crisis is getting even worse, not better.”

Nationally, the survey found only 21.4 per cent of registered nurses and midwives agreed or strongly agreed ‘there are enough staff at this organisation for me to do my job properly’.

Ms Dodsworth added: “When nurses say there are too few staff for them to do their job properly, it’s very worrying because it can mean patients don’t receive the care they need or their safety is compromised.

“It’s no wonder that so many say they feel stressed, overstretched and burnt out at the end of their working day. Hospitals and other care providers face an enormous challenge to recruit and retain enough nurses to fill the gaps, but they’ve been frustrated by the Government ducking its responsibility to ensure a sufficient supply of staff.

“Its high time that the Government commits to delivering and funding a long-term workforce plan that guarantees that there are enough nursing staff to provide patients with safe and effective care.”

Bradford West MP Naz Shah, whose constituency the BRI falls under, said the Government has failed to support nurses and, in turn, patients “time and time again”. 

She said calls for action had fallen on deaf ears and added: “It is time for the Government to take urgent action - claps won’t fix this problem. 

“Concrete action is needed now.”

The Department for Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.