Most hospital workers show signs of "shift work disorder" and are left too tired for everyday tasks, according to new research. A study of 440 staff at two NHS trusts found three out of four met the criteria for probable shift work disorder, defined as insomnia and excessive sleepiness that results in functional impairment and is linked to a greater risk of depression and anxiety.
Study findings on shift work impact
The study, published in BMJ Open, used a screening tool called the Shift Work Disorder Index and found 71% met the criteria for the condition. These staff were four times more likely to be depressed and three times more likely to have probable anxiety. The research polled staff who worked non-standard hours, considered either starting before 7am or working after 6pm.
Some 88% of the NHS staff surveyed reported insomnia and sleepiness, while 75% agreed they experienced both "psychological distress" and functional impairment as a result of their shift patterns.
Union and expert reaction
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the findings show that the impact of shift work and NHS short-staffing "poses a risk to patient safety." Professor Lynn Woolsey, RCN chief nursing officer, said: "These findings are shocking but not surprising. Shift work in the NHS is physically, intellectually and emotionally draining, but it's made far worse due to workforce shortages and increasing levels of patient demand."
Nathan Holman, national officer at the GMB union, said: "NHS workers do vital work to keep us healthy. But this is sometimes to the detriment of their own wellbeing. We can't understand the high rates of burn out, retention and ill-health retirement among NHS staff without looking at the long-term impacts of shift working."
Support and recommendations
Study author Dr Priya Sugavanam, sleep specialist at Oxford University, said the "findings may be generalisable to other sectors that employ shift workers" and highlighted a "pressing need to support shift workers." She noted that participants used strategies such as caffeine and naps to manage sleep difficulties, though these were perceived as only mildly effective, and professional help was rarely sought.
Researchers said staff with shift work disorder could be supported by adapting rotas, helping them with sleep hygiene such as avoiding screens before bed, and in some cases prescribing sleeping pills. Prof Woolsey added that employers must ease the burden through safer rota design, ensuring breaks and recovery time, and that investment in nursing is needed to ease workforce pressures.
