NHS SCOTLAND should take better care of nurses to save money and reduce sickness rates, according to a leading public health researcher.

Richard Kyle, head of population and public health at Edinburgh Napier University, will explore the issue as part of his Edinburgh Fringe show Obesity Bankrupted Our NHS next week. He argues not only are too many of us obese, but too many nurses are as well, a combination that he says will end up costing us £12 billion a year.

In response, he claims the NHS needs a culture shift to ensure it’s easier for nurses to access healthy food and drinks while on shift, take breaks and be supported to find time to exercise during their working day.

His previous research has highlighted that nurses are more likely to be overweight than the general population, which he claims is in part due to gruelling 12-hours shifts “fuelled on Red Bulls and Monster drinks”.

During the recent heatwave, he heard of nurses having to request permission to bring water bottles on to the ward and says others report deliberately not drinking during shifts because they don’t have time to take toilet breaks.

Staff shortages have been blamed for the crippling workloads. A national target of 4% across the NHS has only been met by one health board.

Kyle argues it’s time to turn things on their head and take better care of nurses’ health to help reduce sickness rates and make recruitment easier.

Kyle said: “We don’t necessarily see the cost of the health care because it’s free at point of delivery.

But my Fringe show asks, what does it actually cost us? Part of the costs are caused by staff sickness and part of that is agency spend to address the staff shortages. What if actually it’s actually the health service that is making nurses sick?”

Nurses rate their health lower than the rest of the population and experience very high levels of stress and burn-out. They are more likely to smoke, exceed alcohol guidelines and do less than the recommended amount of physical exercise then the rest of the population, it is claimed.

“Another thing that always gets people is the level of dehydration on shifts – the number of nurses who deliberately don’t drink during shifts because they don’t have time to go to the toilet.“We don’t help nurses either because we give nurses chocolates at gifts. So what happens is we are relying on people fuelled on sugary snacks and drinks to provide our care.”

While he believes nurses should be given longer and better quality breaks, he admits current challenges mean interventions might have to be “strategic”, with changes made in hospitals to help nurses reach for healthy choices.

“In one trust in England they banned sugary drinks and it caused a bit of backlash but they did it anyway,” he added. “It’s important not to put the blame on nurses or the individuals – it’s about ensuring that while they are there working for a health service it is supporting them to be healthy.

“The hospital should promote health right from the start. We have banned smoking but we still have nurses getting through a 12-hour-shift fuelled on a couple of Red Bulls and a Monster drink. I think it’s about sending a message that health is a priority for everyone in the hospital, and that includes nurses.” He is working on proposals to see how active travel programmes could also be adapted for the realities of nursing shift work.

Eileen McKenna, associate director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland said a culture change was needed.

“Stress, low pay and regularly having to work more than contracted hours means that their own wellbeing suffers,” she said.

“Finding time to eat properly, take regular exercise or change unhealthy habits is not easy at the end of a long and stressful shift.”

She said the Scottish Government “must recognise” supporting nurses and health workers maintain a healthy lifestyle is “key” for the future of the NHS.

The Scottish Government could not be contacted for comment.