30 September 2008
The University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is asking
staff to give their views about their working lives, as part of the
sixth national NHS staff survey.
A sample of 850 staff at the Trust will receive a questionnaire,
covering issues such as work-life balance, team working, job
satisfaction, training, management and supervision, violence and
health and safety.
The survey has this year been changed following research
commissioned by the Department of Health into the things that
matter to NHS staff. New questions have been added to glean more
information about things staff say matter most to them, such as
whether they feel they are supported to do a good job and whether
they have the opportunity to improve the way they work. Many
questions remain the same to allow Trusts to track progress over
time.
Dr Graham Rich, Chief Executive of the University Hospitals
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, says: "I believe that for us to
provide even better care and services we need to understand how our
staff feel and to engage them in an ongoing dialogue about their
working lives and the services they provide. The survey is critical
in helping us to work with all of our staff to achieve that
aim.
"We usually get a very good response to this survey and this
year we hope even more staff will take part."
The survey is organised by the independent watchdog, the
Healthcare Commission, in conjunction with the Staff Survey Advice
Centre at Aston University.
Healthcare Commission Chief Executive, Anna Walker, says: "The
NHS is one of the largest employers in the world and its important
to know how staff are feeling. It is a basic principle of business
that safe and well-supported staff are good for the bottom line. In
the case of the NHS, the bottom line is the health of a nation and
of individual patients.
"The survey provides valuable information to trusts, enabling
them to identify issues confronting their staff and to make
improvements to the working environment. It also gives us an
important national picture, with previous surveys highlighting
issues important to staff such as how much violence and harassment
they face and whether they are involved in decision-making."
The survey results will also enable the Department of Health to
assess the effectiveness of national NHS staff strategies and
policies (such as training and flexible working policies) and to
inform future developments in this area.
The Healthcare Commission will publish reports for each NHS
trust and the overall national findings in March 2009.
