Overview

• A University of Southampton study published in BMJ Quality and Safety links NHS ward understaffing to an 8% increase in mortality risk per day understaffed, alongside longer hospital stays and higher readmissions.
• Data from over 626,000 patients across four NHS hospital trusts between 2015 and 2020 shows significant patient care deterioration when registered nurse staffing falls below ward averages.
• The study estimates a cost savings of £4,728 per healthy life year gained by increasing permanent registered nurse staffing, while reliance on temporary agency staff proves costlier and less effective.
• NHS England and the Royal College of Nursing emphasize the urgent need for enforceable staffing standards, fair pay, and targeted recruitment and retention efforts to address the workforce crisis.
• Researchers stress that rectifying nurse understaffing is essential to improving patient safety and reducing preventable deaths, readmissions, and financial inefficiencies within the NHS.