A System under Strain

On 12^th September 2024, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer instructed the National Health Service (NHS) to “reform or die”, describing a system that could not continue in its current form. The 2025 NHS Staff Survey indicates that 88% of NHS staff felt their role made a difference to patients and service users. Meanwhile only 43% were satisfied with the extent to which their organisation valued their work. Following strike action over 2025/26, the British Medical Association highlighted the risk of stress and moral injury in the current NHS.

National Health Stories as an Opportunity for Professional Reflections

One example for addressing deep-rooted issues and providing spaces for reflection by NHS personnel can be found in the North of England, where so-called National Health Stories events have begun to take place. They provide healthcare professionals with a space to recount and share their lived experiences. These events are designed to facilitate storytelling and emphasise the importance of professional reflection. In an interview with the author of this article, Dr Susy Stirling, founder of National Health Stories, shared details about this initiative and its intended outcomes.

Self-Disclosure and the Role of Narrative Agency

According to Dr Stirling, prospective National Health Stories participants will submit a two-minute voice note briefly explaining their story. It is the first point of self-disclosure that occurs within this practice. Dr Stirling described the significance in the storytellers taking the initiative to submit their stories rather than being nominated by peers, displaying their willingness to be involved. She also likened the coaches as midwives, describing how they help individuals bring their stories into the world, without dictating them. She discussed how the agency of the storyteller remains significant throughout this process; the coaches will help the story to take shape, but it ultimately belongs to the teller.

Creating Distance from Clinical Environments

Between five and six storytellers are selected to speak at each event. They work with their coaches over several months and meet regularly in both individual (one-to-one) and group settings. Both meeting styles appear to offer an area for professional reflection and self-narration that is separate from clinical spaces. This indicates that stepping out of a professional setting can impact an individual’s ability to reflect on their work. The event venue is also intended to create a separate space from clinical workplace conditions. The organiser selects an environment that facilitates creative self-disclosure, indicating that clinical settings may be less suited for professional reflection. The event is open to all attendees.

Researching the Impact of Storytelling Initiatives

Dr Alice Deasy, a previous storyteller and coach, is now conducting qualitative research into the impact of these events. She noted that the “overwhelming feedback” following these events indicates that they were engaging and “made an impact” on people. Her research project aims to “explore the experience of curating, creating and attending a staff storytelling event on Hope and Humanity in the NHS”.

Understanding Impact through Qualitative Methods

The research focuses on the impact on audience members, storytellers and coaches alike, and how this impact varies across backgrounds and career stages. Dr Deasy outlined how each participant took part in a semi-structured interview which was then analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. This approach allowed for an in-depth exploration of each participant’s experience to better understand the individual impact and value of this event.

Reconnecting With Professional Identity

According to Dr Deasy, National Health Stories initiatives contributed to reconnecting individuals with their professional identity. Participants described “recognising the values and purpose of their work through the stories”. Dr Deasy discussed how these stories shed light on “everyday interactions” and their impact that may otherwise go unnoticed. Professional identity was also understood through connecting with other professionals at the events. This suggests that listening to the self-disclosure of another’s experiences can strengthen the bonds between individuals and help them recognise the purpose of their work.

Tensions within Professional Identity

Dr Deasy identified tensions surrounding professional identity within the strained NHS. “As professionals, we often feel like we let people down when due to system pressures and limited resources we can’t provide the level of care that we might want to”. However, research projects like Dr Deasy’s suggest that structured storytelling events create a space for professional reflection that is not achieved in informal, clinical settings. They indicate that this space impacts on professional identity. It does so by enabling healthcare professionals to connect with one another and gain deeper access to a sense of purpose.

Links to Wider Research

These conclusions draw similarities with findings from a different study into a hospital-wide storytelling event in the Northeastern United States, particularly the states of New England. The study revealed that most participants indicated feeling a sense of connection to others in their institution either “quite a lot” or “extremely”. Over 75% of respondents  said this event helped them feel connected to a sense of purpose. These separate research projects both suggest that organised storytelling events influence a connection between peers and a connection to a purpose within the healthcare sphere.

Structured Storytelling as a Space for Reflection

Beyond NHS Stories and the methods applied in New England, storytelling events designed for staff wellbeing are increasingly being studied. Schwartz Rounds are another example of such structured, reflective forums. These create dedicated, facilitated spaces for self-disclosure that ordinary workplace conversation often does not. A study on the Schwartz Rounds events identified the difference between formal and informal storytelling. The study indicates how speakers “work to gain the floor” within informal conversation, whereas facilitated events enable an extended space to tell their stories. In other words, the study highlights the significance of a space for professional reflection that may be difficult to explore in routine clinical environments.

Storytelling and its Broader Relevance

Storytelling cannot resolve the structural pressures facing the NHS or other healthcare systems. However, research into initiatives like the National Health Stories indicate broader relevance for understanding professional identity in healthcare contexts. The findings suggest that creating an environment for professional reflection, self-disclosure, and formal narration can shape how professional identity is understood and experienced.