How we do partnership

The SPF recognises what a powerful tool partnership working between employers, policy makers and trade unions can be, and how it makes a real difference to patient care and influences employment practice in healthcare and beyond.
This page contains details on the benefits and importance of true partnership working. You will also find useful case studies, tools and resources to support successful partnership working.
The history of the SPF
Although social partnership arrangements have been in place since 1998, a refreshed approach to partnership working was needed following the major announcement on transforming community services in 2006. The announcement caused concerns and difficulties for stakeholders in the NHS for England. The concerns were addressed by Patricia Hewitt the then health secretary and the ensuing discussions, facilitated by the TUC, led to an agreement by the end of that year which established the SPF.
A key principle of the SPF was that there should be no surprises caused by government announcements on NHS strategy and developments. The SPF, chaired by a minister, has developed its role and ensured that major initiatives in the health service including, most recently, the organisational change arising from the 2021 Health and Care Bill, are dealt with in partnership. The effectiveness of the SPF has been further enhanced by the work undertaken in sub groups such as the Workforce Issues Group and the Violence Reduction sub group.
Benefits of partnership working
Link between staff engagement and organisational effectiveness
In 2011, the Aston University Business School conducted research on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, which provided evidence of the link between good staff experience and good patient experience. More recent research has identified links between engagement and absence levels, employee engagement, sickness absence and agency spend in NHS trusts (March 2018) and has highlighted the links between NHS staff experience and patient satisfaction: analysis of surveys from 2014 and 2015 (February 2018).
The NHS Constitution emphasises the importance of staff engagement and partnership working and requires the NHS to commit to 'engage staff in decisions that affect them and the services they provide, individually, through representative organisations and through local partnership working arrangements.' The potentially serious impact of a disengaged workforce was highlighted in the Francis Inquiry Report (2013).
National and regional, partnership working:
- gives an opportunity for employers and trade unions to contribute their experiences and ideas on the development of policy that impacts on the health and social care workforce
- gives partners the ability to assess the likely impact of emerging policy on the NHS workforce and to mitigate risk
- enables more effective implementation of policy
- supports high standards of employment practice.
Read a summary of what the national SPF has achieved and its priority work areas.
What partnership working means to partners of the SPF
The SPF enables partners to work together to promote effective partnership working on the workforce implications of policy and strategy. It brings together representatives from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and the NHS Trade Unions (representing NHS staff) and NHS Employers (which provides the employers' voice). This model enables early discussion, debate and involvement in the development and implementation of policy that impacts on the workforce.
Useful tools and resources to support partnership working
The SPF has made available the following tools and resources to help organisations embed effective partnership working:
- Case study examples of effective partnership working
- Building positive workforce cultures
- Creating a culture of civility, compassion and respect in the NHS
- SPF Conference - Positive Partnership working through COVID and beyond
- Implementation of a just and learning culture
- SPF partnership agreement
- Facilities time tools and resources
- Partnership Behaviours Tool
- NHS Constitution
- Working in partnership to influence compassionate casework
- Walking in each other’s shoes: Partnership working group exercise