Christmas is a punishing time if you work in the NHS. It’s pushing staff to the edge

The holiday season can be challenging for many people, and for a whole range of different reasons. There’s the inevitable pressure to be at your best and happy, the financial and practical obligations of gift giving and buying expensive food, and the social expectation to make sure we spend quality time with friends and family. For many NHS workers, these obligations and expectations are magnified.

During the holiday season, the strain for some can become almost unbearable. Staff work long, punishing shifts in overcrowded departments, often missing precious time with their families. They carry the emotional burden of providing care in an overstretched and understaffed system, all while grappling with their own struggles – whether that’s exhaustion, financial hardship, or the emotional isolation that can come with being away from loved ones at this time of year. What should be a time for connection and celebration becomes, for many NHS workers, a season of sacrifice and survival. 

• ‘I was restrained for hours’: Mental health hospitals accused of ‘re-traumatising’ patients
• The Tories wasted £131bn of taxpayer cash in five years. Here’s how it could’ve helped fix Britain

The NHS winter crisis is not just about overflowing hospital corridors and delayed treatments – it’s about the toll it takes on the very people who hold the system together. The reality is sobering: one in three NHS workers have experienced mental ill health, and tragically, one in four have considered suicide. In fact, the rate of suicide is alarmingly high for NHS workers, we lose one nurse on average every week, and one doctor every three weeks. As the temperatures drop and the demand on services soars, the pressures on some workers escalate to breaking point. 

This is whyFrontline19has launched our  Care in the Cold campaign, endorsed by Gavin & Stacey actress Alison Steadman, to ensure that NHS workers are not left out in the cold this winter. We’re calling for donations and additional professional volunteer counsellors to meet the rising demand for our free, confidential mental health support.  

While public attention understandably focuses on patients waiting in the backs of ambulances or sat in emergency departments, the hidden reality is that the people providing care can sometimes be the ones in most need of support themselves. Our recent campaign advertisement Sicker than the Patients perfectly encapsulated how, in some cases, NHS staff are actually sicker than the patients they are caring for – though they’d never let you see it.

There is now an epidemic of mental ill health among the NHS workforce. This is the inevitable but avoidable consequence of over a decade of austerity imposed on the service by successive governments, compounded by covid. The pandemic may be over, but the psychological effects will be felt and suffered by staff for a very long time. So many have experienced numerous deeply traumatic events with no time or allowance having been made for a proper debrief or support, even now. 

In a grossly understaffed system (there are around 100,000 vacancies in the NHS) staff are routinely doing the work of several people, while the demand only increases. This is not sustainable without significant harm coming to the individuals battling to try and hold it all together and provide good care against the odds.  

The holiday season should be a time for joy and connection, yet for NHS workers, it often represents the starkest reminder of what they are sacrificing. Imagine working back-to-back shifts, unable to see your children open their presents or sit down to a festive meal with your loved ones. Instead, you’re faced with endless demands: caring for patients in critical condition, comforting families, and making impossible decisions with limited resources. 

This constant strain leads to burnout—an all-too-common reality for many NHS staff. This is a very real and increasingly common condition, and indeed was recently cited by NHS Providers as the leading cause of reduced productivity in the NHS. It affects the quality of care provided, increases absenteeism, and contributes to the exodus of skilled healthcare professionals from the system. For those who remain, the guilt of not being able to deliver the level of care they would like (known as Moral Injury) adds another layer of emotional burden. 

At Frontline19, we’ve seen firsthand how these pressures can build to a breaking point during the winter months. Requests for help surge, as NHS staff reach out for the support they desperately need. Yet, even then, many feel hesitant to admit they are struggling. There’s a pervasive culture within healthcare that glorifies selflessness to the point of self-sacrifice, where seeking help is often mistakenly viewed as a sign of weakness. 

This has to change. Through our Care in the Cold campaign, we aim to provide not just immediate support but also to send a clear message: it’s okay to ask for help. NHS workers deserve the same compassion and care they so tirelessly offer others. By supporting Frontline19, you can play a part in this vital effort. Donations can help us expand our services to reach more staff, while volunteer counsellors provide the lifeline of free, confidential mental health support. Together, we can make sure that NHS workers are not left to face these challenges alone. 

This winter, let’s show our NHS staff that we value their sacrifices, that we see what they are having to endure, and that we are here for them – just as they are always there for us. Please visit frontline19.com to help. We know our NHS staff will be so grateful for your support. 

For immediate support Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. 

Claire Goodwin-Fee is a psychotherapist and founder and CEO of Frontline19 – a non-profit organisation that provides free and confidential counselling and support to NHS and frontline workers. 

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a Vendor Support Kit.