You will already be acutely aware of the recent media reports highlighting an unprecedented 55% rise in hospital admissions due to flu and many of you may be feeling the impact of this surge first hand. Working in hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries and other frontline settings means you are at the heart of this challenge every day. This increase is placing enormous pressure on health services and, most importantly, on the nursing staff who provide essential care. As professionals working in environments where flu is present, your health and safety must remain a priority, not an afterthought.

Nursing staff are already experiencing burnout and fatigue from sustained workforce shortages, high patient demand, and relentless pressure on services. The additional risk of exposure to flu and other respiratory illness like norovirus and the potential for becoming unwell only compounds this strain.

Exposure to infectious diseases is not something nurses should simply accept as “part of the job.” Every employer has a clear legal obligation under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations to:

• Identify and Assess the risks of exposure to biological hazards, including flu
• Implement appropriate controls to minimise those risks and protect staff

These responsibilities apply to all employees, but they are particularly critical for nursing staff who may be at greater risk, including those who have underlying health conditions that increase susceptibility to infection, are pregnant, immunocompromised or otherwise medically vulnerable, requiring additional consideration for their health and safety. 

To support members, H&S representatives and employers to manage these risks, the RCN has developed a Respiratory Risk Assessment Toolkit. This resource enables members, H&S representatives and employers to recognise respiratory hazards in clinical and care environments and develop and apply proportionate and effective control measures, such as, ventilation improvements, safe working practices and personal protective equipment

Taking respiratory risks seriously doesn’t just safeguard individuals, it strengthens the entire health system.  It can reduce infection rates among staff and patients, which in turn cuts sickness absence, reducing staffing shortages and understaffing of services.  This eases the pressure on colleagues and reduces the reliance on nursing staff working overtime, or the need for bank or agency staff.  Morale is boosted as nursing staff can see their wellbeing is valued and protecting staff health and safety improves the health and safety culture in the workplace.

Employers must act now.  Assessing and managing the risks to nursing staff are not optional, it is a legal requirement and a moral imperative. Nursing staff deserve to work in environments where their health is protected, especially during times of heightened risk.

As H&S representatives, we have a vital role in ensuring that employers meet their legal obligations and protect nursing staff from avoidable risks. The current increase in flu cases is a reminder that respiratory hazards are real and must be managed proactively. Using the RCN Respiratory Risk Assessment Toolkit is a practical step towards safeguarding our colleagues, reducing sickness absence, and strengthening the culture of care and safety across healthcare services.

The RCN encourages members to have the influenza vaccine.

I encourage all H&S reps to:

• Check out the RCN Respiratory Risk Assessment Toolkit today
• Work closely with Stewards to ensure nursing staff are supported to take time off when suffering from flu, in line with infection prevention and control policies if unwell with flu
• Engage with your employer to ensure risk assessments for flu and other respiratory hazards are in place and effective
• Raise concerns if controls are inadequate.  Your voice matters in protecting nursing staff