The national Social Partnership Forum (SPF) has congratulated regional and local partnerships on the role they have played in delivering a record number of improvements in the 2009 annual NHS staff survey.
We continue to encourage all levels of the NHS to work in partnership to improve results and are analysing the 2009 results, particularly in relation to delivering the staff pledges set out in the NHS Constitution. Our priority for the year ahead is to continue to support regional and local partnerships to enable them to improve their survey results.
Members of the SPF believe that the NHS staff survey plays an important role in the relationship that NHS trusts have with their staff which importantly supports the patient care they can deliver.
The 2009 survey shows progress against the key priority areas of stress, violence, harassment, bullying and abuse, staff appraisal and staff engagement and job satisfaction identified by the SPF.
In particular the 2009 survey shows:
- The lowest levels of physical violence and harassment from patients.
- A significant increase in the number of staff receiving appraisals and personal development plans.
- An increase in staff satisfaction with the quality of work and patient care.
- Higher levels of job satisfaction and staff engagement.
Chair of the Social Partnership Forum, Health Minister Ann Keen MP said:
"Employers and unions working constructively together in response to results from the NHS staff survey can make a real difference. This is shown by today’s results.
“Our aspiration is to embed further partnership working on the survey results. This will support progress on the commitments made in the NHS Constitution to improve staff experience which is necessary for continually improving the patient experience.
“We want to give confidence to staff that respond to the survey that their views are being heard and acted on.”
Gill Bellord, Director of core membership services, NHS Employers added:
“This year’s strong results demonstrate the value of partnership working. It is critical that we continue to build on this success so that the NHS remains a place where people will always want to work.
We are pleased to see that one of the key findings shows that job satisfaction is the highest it has ever been and staff feel engaged and appreciated. Not only is it essential to the delivery of the highest standard of patient care it is also a critical factor in responding to the economic downturn and the increasing demands that all trusts are now facing.”
Sharon Holder, chair of the SPF staff survey group commenting on behalf on the NHS trade unions said:
“These are the most positive results we have had since the staff survey was created. They show that partnership working at all levels is paying off and staff across the NHS should be congratulated for their collective efforts. It’s important that we are not complacent and work hard to maintain these improvements and make even more rapid progress, particularly in areas such as appraisals and personal development plans that are key to how well staff do their jobs.”
Find out more about the survey from the Care Quality Commission website.
To support NHS organisations in tackling the key priorities highlighted by the SPF, the forum has produced a series of case studies highlighting good practice by NHS trusts.