Staff shortages put nurses and patients at risk

Stress, exhaustion and sick leave: staff shortages put nurses and physiotherapists under pressure and threaten patient care, the nursing union SATSE warns in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday 20 October. It says public authorities and private healthcare companies are not investing enough to make workplaces safe and healthy.

SATSE says too few staff leave nurses and physiotherapists with excessive workloads. That pressure, alongside other factors, can lead to anxiety, depression, sleep problems and extreme fatigue, the union says. It warns that more staff may need time off sick and that patients may receive poorer, less safe care.

The union wants prevention and support programmes for healthcare workers under the Mental Health Action Plan 2025–2027. It also wants workplace safety teams to have enough staff and resources to check jobs regularly for pressures that could harm mental health, rather than waiting until workers become ill. SATSE says health centres also lack specialist mental health nurses as demand for support grows.

Topics: Jobs & labour · Health

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com