The statement follows Tuesday’s report from the Health and Social Care Committee when chair Jeremy Hunt MP urged the government to “deliver on their pledge of 6,000 GPs by 2024/25” in order to combat burnout in the NHS.

mindspa.community members are urging the government to go further and provide immediate assistance to the 528,000 NHS workers who have already reported feeling unwell with work-related stress.

“We propose using a series of ‘Head Holidays’ at work,” says director Jon Cunningham. “These will stem or even reverse the effects of burnout before more people resign or are off work on long-term sick leave.”

According to a report from a committee of MPs, burnout among NHS staff is advancing staff shortages due to

resignations and sick leave, leaving critical services under pressure with those remaining suffering chronic workload.

mindspa.community members believe the recommendations need to go further and provide immediate assistance to 44% of the 1.2 million NHS workforce who have already reported feeling unwell with work-related stress in the 2020 NHS Staff Survey.

Pauline Kidd, director at mindspa.community, said: “Waiting for staff numbers to increase

is too little too late. 44% of the NHS workforce has already indicated they need help – this needs to be done prompt

ly. Although we can’t immediately change their workload, what we can do is introduce moments of rest that restore and improve our capacity to cope.

“We’re using ‘Head Holidays’ – short micro-breaks interspersed throughout the day, which are proven by science to arrest burnout, and being only one to three minutes long don’t impede the working day.”

One forward-thinking NHS Trust is already working with mindspa.community, rolling out one initiative in May to all 8,000 employees.

About MindSpa

MindSpa community draws on the expertise of different disciplines, academics, creatives, entrepreneurs, psychologists, scientists and practitioners, all with a belief that work can be better. We work with major corporations and household brands to create immersive experiences, keeping their values, stories, identities and engagement alive. mindspa.community.