News: NHS Wales Staff Survey Summary 2005

7 March 2006, Welsh Assembly Government

The future of the NHS Pension Scheme and job satisfaction derived from caring for patients were the main issues highlighted in the latest NHS Wales staff survey, published today [Monday 6 March].

Staff said that the friendship and camaraderie of colleagues, feeling part of a team, enjoying the job and the varied and interesting work was what they liked about working for NHS Wales. 88 per cent of staff felt satisfied with the support they were given to carry out their work. An overwhelming 93 percent of the 33,000 staff who responded said that the NHS Pension Scheme was an important benefit to them and 83 percent said the retirement age should remain at 60.

About three-quarters, though, said they are regularly working paid overtime in order to provide the best care for patients. Almost half said that they regularly work unpaid overtime with the most common reasons given that they didn’t want to let down the people they work with, it was necessary to meet deadlines, it was impossible to do the job otherwise or that they enjoyed the job. Almost 60 percent said that they did not have enough time to carry out all their work.

When asked about job satisfaction, 80 per cent of staff who responded said they always know what their responsibilities are, 76 per cent agreed that they have clear objectives for their job, and 75 per cent said they can decide on their own how to go about doing their work.

Just over 43 per cent of staff indicated that they often think about leaving their employer, but about 66 per cent said that if they left their current job, they would stay within the NHS. Areas staff felt needed improvement were to increase staff numbers and improve communication overall within their organisations.

Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons, who has spent almost 25 years working in the NHS, said it was important to hear the views of front-line staff to ensure we continue to improve the health service for the benefit of staff and patients.

“The NHS is about people treating and caring for people. That is why we must value the skills and expertise of our staff.

"By finding out what they actually think about the service, NHS Trusts, NHS Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government can work together in partnership with the Trade Unions to improve the service for all. Overall, it seems as if the majority of staff are happy working for the NHS. I am pleased that staff have been so honest in this survey.

"This survey is not about pretending that everything is perfect. It is about highlighting those issues that are most important to the wellbeing of the workforce. By acting on their concerns and building on the service's strengths, the NHS will continue to be an attractive option for people entering the world of work, thinking of changing a career or even people wanting to return to health care. The NHS must continue to offer more flexible, family-friendly working choices if it is able to help more people return to the service.

"The fact that 39 per cent of staff have reported suffering work-related stress is a major concern and the Welsh Partnership Forum is undertaking work to help deal with this. I am also concerned that 16 per cent of staff have faced the prospect of physical violence while at work. This is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. Work continues across Wales to ensure that staff have the support needed to reduce the risk of this happening and make hospitals and other health care establishments safe places to work. Also, if incidents happen, action must be taken.

"Another issue raised was the need to increase the number of staff in the NHS. This will help to reduce pressure on staff and improve patient care. We are well on our way to meeting our targets of recruiting 6,000 more nurses, 700 more consultants and doctors and an extra 2,000 other NHS Wales staff by 2010.

"I hope that over the coming year NHS Wales staff, in whatever field and wherever they work in Wales, will continue to see further improvements in their working conditions. I want to thank all the staff who took the time out of their busy days to complete the survey."

NHS Wales Staff Survey Summary 2005