GWH staff want to do better, survey shows (From Swindon Advertiser)

GWH staff want to do better, survey shows

6:30pm Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Katie Bond

NEW NHS staff survey results released this week show employees at the Great Western Hospital are not satisfied with the quality of care they are able to deliver.

The survey also shows the percentage of staff feeling pressure to attend work when feeling unwell at the GWH is above the national average.

Staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from staff in the last 12 months is also higher than the national average for acute trusts.

There were also positive findings, however, with staff motivation at the GWH putting the trust in the top 20 per cent across the country.

Workers also said the trust provides good equal opportunities for career progression or promotion and they have had equality and diversity training in the last 12 months.

The percentage of GWH staff suffering work-related stress in the last 12 months was also six per cent lower than the national average.

A total of 511 staff at GWH took part in the survey – a response of 63 per cent which is in the highest 20 per cent of acute trusts in England, and compares with a response rate of 66 per cent in this trust in the 2011 survey.

Oonagh Fitzgerald, the director of workforce and education said: “On the whole we are pleased with the latest staff survey results for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and there are a number of areas we have improved on in the last 12 months. “We are above the average when compared to other hospitals for a range of indicators, and for a third of indicators we are within the top 20 per cent of trusts in England, such as in infection and prevention control awareness, staff being offered equal opportunities for career progression or promotion, staff motivation levels, and a low number of staff suffering work related stress which reflects our work on ensuring better health and well-being for staff.

“Like any organisation there are areas where our staff are telling us we need to improve on and we’ll be focussing on these. “We are just below the national average for staff feeling satisfied with the quality of work and patient care they are able to deliver, and a big focus this year will be investing over £1m in nurses which will increase staff numbers, improve patient care and provide support to staff.”

Nationally, a total of 202,000 NHS staff were invited to participate by postal questionnaire. Responses were received from 101,000 staff, a response of 50 per cent compared to 53.7 per cent in 2010.