06.03.18
More than half of NHS staff worked unpaid hours in last year
The results of NHS England’s NHS Staff Survey 2017 are “challenging” and show that health and social care services need further investment, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, has warned.
The survey results, which were published today, reveal that 58% of staff worked unpaid hours, 38% reported feeling unwell due to work related stress in the previous 12 months, and 53% of staff attended work in the previous three months, despite feeling unwell, because they felt pressure from their manager, colleagues, or themselves.
Staff reported lower satisfaction with the quality of their work and the care that they are able to deliver.
The number of staff satisfied with their pay fell to 31%, down by 6% from 2016.
Mortimer said that NHS employers had previously anticipated the worsening results in the survey.
“The country needs to take these challenging results seriously,” he commented. “We cannot expect staff to absorb additional work pressures year on year without it having an adverse effect on their experience of work.
“A long-term solution to sustainable investment in the NHS – and other vital public services – is clearly required,” he added.
He called it “disappointing but understandable” that staff felt less satisfied with the standard of care that they were now able to provide.
However, more staff have reported feeling that their managers and organisations support their health and wellbeing, which Mortimer said “is a result of longstanding efforts by employers to address workplace health issues.”
He concluded: “The increasing focus on supporting staff through mental health issues is clearly having a positive impact and we are keen to share the lessons learnt from the NHS with other employers.”
Neil Churchill, director of patient experience at NHS England, said: “Staff are going above and beyond to deliver the best care under pressure and these results show that staff appreciate the efforts of managers to listen, support and act on staff concerns.
“Nevertheless there are warning signs NHS employers will need to do all they can to ensure the NHS supports our staff to deliver the high standards expected by patients.”
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