How can NHS and healthcare organisations prepare for winter pressures in 2025/26
Winter pressures have been part of NHS life for decades. Seasonal respiratory illness, colder weather and increased demand always create a challenging period. The British Lung Foundation has previously reported that admissions for lung disease rise by around 80% during December, January and February compared with the spring and summer months. In 2025, the pattern looks familiar, but the pressures behind it have evolved.
Many trusts and services now plan months ahead for the winter period. Escalation frameworks, additional bed capacity, rapid discharge pathways and redeployed staff remain essential tools. Yet rising demand, workforce shortages and financial constraints mean that pressures feel sharper and more sustained than in previous years. Winter planning in 2025 is less about a single peak and more about managing continuous strain.
The state of the workforce in 2025
NHS staff have faced years of intense operational pressure. The long tail of the pandemic, ongoing vacancies, rising sickness absence and high levels of moral injury have left many teams fatigued. Recent NHS England workforce data shows that sickness absence remains significantly above pre-pandemic levels, with stress, anxiety and burnout sitting among the most common reasons for time away from work. Findings published by the Nuffield Trust in 2025 also highlight continued difficulty recruiting and retaining staff across nursing, midwifery and community services.
All of this affects how NHS teams enter the winter period. While demand continues to rise, capacity remains constrained. Many staff report feeling stretched before winter even begins. Leaders cannot always create additional beds or recruit new colleagues at speed, so they are looking for practical ways to support teams, improve wellbeing and strengthen resilience during the busiest months.
Why engagement matters for winter readiness
While staff engagement cannot prevent increased demand, it can play a decisive role in how well teams cope with operational pressure. Engaged staff are more likely to stay, more able to adapt and more confident in raising concerns early. This matters enormously during winter when small problems can escalate quickly.
Research continues to show that engaged teams deliver safer care, experience fewer incidents and support better patient outcomes. The King’s Fund has repeatedly highlighted how autonomy, belonging and meaningful contribution form the foundations of positive staff experience. When staff feel heard and valued, they are better able to manage pressure, maintain morale and contribute to continuous improvement.
In practice, this requires leaders to create clear and consistent ways for staff to share feedback, raise ideas and surface concerns. The reality is that face to face contact is often limited during winter. Night staff, community teams, porters, administrative staff and part time colleagues are not always reached through traditional engagement activities. Digital listening tools help fill this gap by giving all staff a voice, no matter where they work or when they work.
What digital staff engagement can offer this winter
ImproveWell was designed for exactly these moments. During peak pressure, small improvements can make a large difference. Real-time insight helps leaders understand what staff need, where systems are strained and which changes will have the most impact.
Our work with a wide range of organisations has shown how front line teams often hold the key to practical solutions. When pressure is high, staff frequently know where the bottlenecks are, which processes create unnecessary friction and which small adjustments would improve workflow. Capturing this insight in real time helps operational leaders make informed choices quickly.
The ImproveWell app allows staff to share instant feedback on how their day has gone, contribute ideas and track sentiment over time. Because the system is always on, it supports shift workers, dispersed teams and colleagues based in the community. This ensures that winter engagement is inclusive rather than limited to those who can attend meetings or huddles.
Learning from experience
During the pandemic, ImproveWell supported surge hospitals as they navigated rapid change. In London and Cardiff, staff used the platform to share insights that shaped processes in real time. Hundreds of ideas were submitted within weeks, helping teams refine patient flow, communication, infection control and staff support mechanisms.
In other services, such as maternity at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, ImproveWell supported a structured programme of engagement and improvement over a longer period. The results included better morale, improved patient experience and stronger organisational learning. For teams facing winter pressure in 2025, these principles remain relevant. Real-time listening creates a steady flow of insight that can help address issues before they grow.
Staff engagement during times of pressure
Winter pressure affects both operational delivery and staff wellbeing. When teams feel exhausted, worried or unheard, burnout becomes more likely. This is exactly when consistent listening and rapid improvement cycles matter most. Many organisations now treat engagement as a core part of winter planning. It is not a ‘nice to have’. It is a practical tool for safer care and a more resilient workforce.
Listening to staff, responding visibly to what they share and empowering teams to shape solutions can reduce frustration and improve the experience of work during the busiest months. This helps organisations retain talent, maintain stability and support better patient care.
Preparing for winter 2025/26
While demand may be difficult to control, the experience of staff can be supported. Creating space for staff voice, using real-time data to guide decisions and building a culture of continuous improvement give organisations stronger foundations through winter.
If you would like to explore how ImproveWell can support your organisation during winter and beyond, get in touch to book a demo or learn more about our approach to empowering staff voice and continuous improvement.
