Give NHS staff access to appropriate change, rest, and sleep facilities

Could you imagine having to get changed for work in a toilet cubicle every day?

Could you picture having to eat standing up on your shifts because you have nowhere to sit? Or envisage staying awake for more than 24 hours because you’re on call but have nowhere suitable to sleep?

Sadly, thousands of NHS staff don’t have to imagine any of this, because this is their lived reality.

That's why we're are calling on the Government to make it compulsory for NHS staff to have access to appropriate change, rest, and sleep facilities.

Many staff are currently working in unacceptable conditions

Shockingly, 56% of NHS staff say tell us they have nowhere appropriate to change in and out of uniform? In addition, 34% tell us they have no access to a staff room, and 80% tell us there is nowhere suitable to rest their heads when on call overnight, despite us knowing that this makes them safer.

Worryingly, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

That is why we need your help. 

Urgent action is needed to put things right

We believe that this is unacceptable and something needs to be done.

Providing a safe space to rest, sleep and recover in between patient care is vital, not only for patient safety and staff wellbeing, but also to ensure safe travel home. 

We cannot let anymore NHS staff lose their lives

We can’t lose another Lauren Connelly. She was a 23-year-old junior doctor who was just seven weeks into her medical career. She worked long hours, including one stretch of 107 hours in just 12 days. She lost her life in a car accident on her way home from work. And because we also can’t lose another Ronak Patel. He was a 33-year-old junior doctor who tried to keep himself awake after a night shift by singing, before tragically ploughing into a lorry.

Those are just a couple of names, but there are more. Far too many.