The annual NHS Staff Survey published today (Tuesday 18 February) has highlighted a number of improvements at the Trust. Almost six out of ten staff at the Trust completed the survey which is sent to NHS staff nationally and asks questions on their experiences at work and their wellbeing. Our response rate of 57 per cent was an increase of ten per cent from 2018 and the highest in 15 years.

Staff responses shared improvements in areas such as morale, team working and the quality of care provided compared to 2018.

Tony Chambers, interim Chief Executive, said “It’s really encouraging to see that staff have reported a better experience at work compared to 2018. Some areas where we have improved most were senior managers acting on the feedback of staff, and effective communication between managers and their teams. We also outperform similar trusts with staff having dedicated time to discuss their career with their manager at personal performance reviews.”

One area where results for our Trust had worsened since the last survey was staff experiencing physical violence from members of the public. Tony Chambers said “Any violence or abuse towards our staff is unacceptable and we are taking the increase of reported incidents seriously. The Trust is working with the police and is going to be introducing a number of initiatives this year which focus on keeping our staff safe at work.”

Reflecting on how the results of the survey affect patients, Tony Chambers said “In the NHS there is a clear link between the experience of staff and how satisfied patients are with their care. We’re pleased the results reflect improvements for our staff, because by making our hospitals better places to work, we are making them better places to receive care.”