New research has found that two thirds (67%) of healthcare professionals believe that the twindemic of rising COVID-19 and Flu cases means there is now a critical risk to the healthcare system in the UK. 
 
A study of close to 500 nurses, health and social care workers, conducted by Florence, the healthcare platform using technology to help tackle the shortage of healthcare staff globally, also found that a quarter (23.8%) of nurses and healthcare assistants think the healthcare system will collapse as a result of the increased pressure, with the NHS and social care system simply unable to cope with the increase in demand.
 
As a result, two thirds (63%) believe the quality of care will be impacted as a result of the twindemic. Three fifths (61%) say essential services will be overloaded, while over half (56%) are concerned the vulnerable won’t be able to access the care they need. 
 
Just one in 100 (0.5%) nurses, health and social care workers believe there will be no impact on the healthcare system whatsoever. 
 
The healthcare system is already suffering from record breaking long wait times and bed blocking in the last few months, and the twindemic is set to only aggravate this further. Over a half (57%) of healthcare workers think it will lead to longer wait times and two in five (42%) believe that there is a greater risk of bed blocking. 
 
Many believe the problems the healthcare system is currently experiencing have stemmed from recent political turmoil. A quarter (23%) state that the quick succession of Health Secretaries has meant that any meaningful change has been difficult. Half of healthcare workers are even more bold in their criticism; 50% think that regardless of whoever holds the position of Health Secretary, there will never be any change in support for frontline workers.
 
Dr. Charles Armitage, CEO and founder of Florence, commented: “The NHS and social care sector is already under intolerable pressure, the likes of which we have never experienced before. As we head deeper into the winter months, the sector will be hit even harder by the rise in COVID-19 and Flu cases. Quite simply, the NHS is at breaking point.”
 
“More needs to be done to equip frontline workers with the support they need to function to the best of their ability. The scale of the worldwide healthcare staff shortages is one of the greatest threats to health globally. For the public, inadequate numbers of staff is a risk to both access to care and quality of care. For staff, it leads to stress, burnout and a lack of support for the existing workforce who are imperative to society. Our research suggests that our healthcare workers are losing faith in the government but only systematic reform can fix the broken care staffing model for good.”