Drop in staff at Nottinghamshire health trust happy with standard of care

The annual poll of NHS staff across England has revealed a nationwide drop in satisfaction with care standards, while concern over workforce numbers, discontent with pay and work-related stress were also highlighted by health service workers nationally.

At Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs sites across the county and further afield, including Millbrook Mental Health Unit at King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton, 64 per cent of staff who responded to the 2021 survey said if a friend or relative needed treatment, they would be happy with the standard of care provided by their organisation.

This was down from 70 per cent the year before, according to the report, which included responses from 5,072 staff at the trust.

Some 44 per cent of staff had felt unwell as a result of work-related stress in the previous year, while 30 per cent often or always felt burnt out because of their job.

And roughly 68 per cent said they feel enthusiastic about their job, compared with 74 per cent a year earlier.

Survey

Dr John Brewin, trust chief executive, said: “We were pleased more colleagues completed the survey this year than previously and our scores in the nine main areas of the survey are above the national average for all trusts.

“However, some of our results are not as good as last year. We are not alone in this, as there have been similar declines across the NHS, which is understandable given the additional pressures faced over the last 12 months.

“We want to ensure the experience of our staff is a positive one.

“The survey highlighted several areas where we are performing better, including work/life balance and improved support from managers, which is very positive and encouraging. However, we will work together to make changes to improve staff experiences, our services and patient care. I would like to thank staff for their incredible dedication, flexibility and resilience throughout the last year.”

Matthew Taylor, of the NHS Confederation, which represents trusts, said the overall picture is unsurprising due to the ‘unprecedented pressure’ placed on NHS staff throughout the pandemic.