Latest survey spotlights female health and care workforce's experiences of COVID-19
Today the NHS Confederation’s Health & Care Women Leaders Network launches an important new report, COVID-19 and the female health and care workforce survey update.
The report presents the findings of a survey commissioned by the network to find out how the impact of the pandemic on women working across health and care changed as the crisis progressed. It follows up on our first survey and report published in the summer of 2020. In light of the findings from the latest survey, we also make new recommendations on what must be done to address key issues in this area.
The report shows that, since summer 2020, the impact of the pandemic on the female workforce has demonstrably worsened and more women are reporting an even greater negative impact on their physical and emotional wellbeing. The findings of the survey also show improvement in some areas, including teamworking and increased feelings of camaraderie - but the marked deterioration in the key areas of physical and emotional wellbeing cannot be ignored.
With 78 per cent of the health and care workforce being female, the impact of the pandemic on women needs to be considered as part of overall recovery plans. The recommendations included in the report can benefit the whole workforce, not just women.
The network's chair Samantha Allen has written to every chair, chief executive, integrated care service or primary care service lead across the NHS asking them to read the report and the supporting slide deck and consider the recommendations.
Read the report and download the slide deck which gives a more detailed look into the findings.
Find more information on the network see their and follow the network on Twitter @hcwomenleaders.
