Financial challenges ‘are growing' for nurses, says charity

The chief executive of a charity that provides grants and advice to nurses facing financial hardship says demand for its services are on the rise as support mechanisms are waning across the UK.

Speaking at an event in the House of Lords on Friday (26 September), Lewis Allett said the support the Cavell charity gives is becoming increasingly important for keeping nurses within the workforce.

‘The safety nets that used to be there to catch people are being eroded’, Mr Allett said.

He described how over 80% of the people who come to Cavell for support are currently working, with Cavell providing the advice and funds so they can stay in work.

‘Cavell sees itself increasingly as being part of retention and of building a resilient workforce.

‘But the truth is, the challenges are growing, the complexity of cases are getting worse and the volume is increasing,’ Mr Allett told attendees.

Professor Nancy Fontaine, chair of Cavell, shared examples of how Cavell had supported nurses working at Barts Health NHS Trust, where 33 members of the trust’s nurses and midwives received grants and advice from the charity.

‘For many, it’s what kept them in work, kept food on the table and preserved their mental health and wellbeing,’ Professor Fontaine said.

She described that 73% of those who had made contact with Cavell said their support had helped them to stay in their roles.

What does the data say?

Early findings from Cavell’s 2025 annual survey, seen by Nursing in Practice, show that almost half (47%) of the 194 general practice, community and district nurses responding to the survey said their financial situation had negatively impacted them in the past 12 months.

While a small sample, a striking 68% of these said that financial stress affects their mental health, with 35% saying that financial stress has made them consider leaving the profession.

Over a third (36%) had received treatment or support for their mental health in the last 12 months.

Struggling to cover basic needs

Many of the primary and community nurses responding to Cavell’s survey described struggling to pay for essential items.

Nearly half (48%) said they have been worried about paying for rent, food, energy and childcare costs in the past 12 months.

Over half (56%) said they have had to borrow money from friends and or family, with a worrying 83% cutting back on essentials like food and heating.

Worsening workplace experiences

As costs rise, growing numbers of the respondents also described how their workloads had increased, with 78% of the community, general practice and district nurses feeling the impact of staffing shortages, with more work and fewer colleagues to share duties with.

At the same time, nearly a third (32%) of these nurses had experienced workplace violence and abuse, from patients, families or colleagues which affected their wellbeing at work.

Few nurses felt supported by more senior colleagues, with 62% feeling undervalued or ignored by leadership staff.

Only 29% of respondents said that they would feel comfortable speaking with their employer about domestic abuse.

The full data from the Cavell 2025 survey will be published in October.

Abuse and violence towards GP practice staff was described as ‘widespread’ in a recent review of 50 studies into the issue globally.

Earlier this month, student nurses spoke about the worsening financial strain they are facing during a meeting with the deputy chief nursing officer (CNO) for England.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Foundation is currently funding a study to explore experiences of domestic abuse and the support needed by UK nursing and midwifery professionals.

In February, a report exposed how nurses and nursing associates face some of the highest levels of violence and harassment among the adult social care workforce in England.