West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust Report on Confidential Survey of Employees 2002

West Suffolk HospitalsWest Suffolk Hospitals

NHS TrustNHS Trust

Report on ConfidentialReport on Confidential

Survey of Employees 2002Survey of Employees 2002

Employment status:

Profile of RespondentsProfile of Respondents

2001 2002

Full time 52.2% 61.7%

Part time 47.8% 38.3%

Staff Group:


2001 2002

Administrative & Clerical 16.1% 19.1%

Ancillary 6.9 5.6%

Contracted out Services 1.9% 1.0%

Dental 0.0% 0.0%

Estates/Maintenance 2.5% 2.1%

Executive Directors/Board Members 0.2% 0.6%

Healthcare Assistant/Healthcare Support/Senior Support Worker 9.5% 10.1%

Medical 6.9% 5.7%

Midwifery 2.5% 3.2%

Senior Managers 2.3% 3.0%

Nursing 28.2 31.1%

Pharmaceutical 1.4% 2.6%

Professions Allied to Medicine (PAMs) 7.1% 7.9%

Professional & Technical 4.1% 7.6%

Scientific & Professional 0.2% 0.2%

Volunteers 10.3% 0.0%

Response rate:


2001 2002

2875 forms were sent out. 2700 forms were sent out.

956 were returned; 818 were returned;

a response rate of 33.25% a response rate of 30.3%

Summary of Key FindingsSummary of Key Findings

Training and Development2001 2002

% of staff satisfied with the input that they have into identifying their

training and development needs;64.4% 69.0%

% of staff satisfied that sufficient time is made available to them to

participate in training and development;50.7% 55.0%

% of staff satisfied that they have received sufficient training to

enable them to do their job; 75.5% 78.2%


Personal Development

Career Progression

2001 2002

% of staff who have a Personal Development Plan agreed through

appraisal or a similar process40.0%; 53.8 %

2001 2002

% of staff who have had a formal appraisal with their immediate

manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister in the last 12 months; 35.7% 49.5%

% of staff satisfied with the opportunities available to them for career

progression within their organisation. 45.6% 50.1%


Communications2001 2002

% of staff satisfied with communications in their organisation; 55.4% 53.4%

% of staff satisfied with communications between themselves and their

immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister;. 79.6% 71.7%

% of staff satisfied that they receive all the information they need to do

their job; 68.7% 66.2%

% of staff interested in receiving information about what is going on

elsewhere in their organisation. 90.1% 92.2%


Communications

2001 2002

% of staff satisfied with the information they receive about what is

going on elsewhere in their organisation; 58.2% 59.1%

% of staff who have the opportunity to access work related information

that is provided on the Internet/Intranet; 33.6% 69.8%

% of staff who have the opportunities within their normal working

hours to attend Team/Department meetings. 58.2% 67.9%

Staff Consultation


2001 2002

% of staff who feel that they are encouraged, at least to some extent, to put forward their views by their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister;

67.4% 66.7%

% of staff satisfied that their organisation is taking steps to involve staff

in day to day decision making at work; 50.9% 52.1%

% of staff satisfied that their organisation is taking steps to involve staff

in long term decision making at work; 40.6% 40.5%


Staff Consultation

2001 2002% of staff satisfied with the extent to which their organisation seeks the

views of staff; 45.9% 44.4%

% of staff satisfied with the extent to which their organisation takes

account of the views of staff; 38.4% 52.1%

% of staff satisfied with the way which any changes that may impact on

them/their jobs are handled;43.1% 41.9%


Management Employee Relations

2001 2002% staff satisfied with their working relationship with their immediate

manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; 84.7% 78.3%

% staff satisfied with the support they receive from their immediate

manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; 77.7% 74.3%

% staff who find their immediate manager/supervisor/charge

nurse/sister approachable; 89.9% 86.0%


Workload

2001 2002

% of staff who feels that the amount of work they are asked to do on a

day shift is about right;27.1% 29.7%

% of staff satisfied that their area of work is adequately staffed; 36.8% 47.8%

% of staff who feel that the amount of work related stress they

experience on a day shift is acceptable for the type of job they do; 33.1% 37.6%


Equal Opportunities2001 2002

% of staff who are confident that their organisation is taking action to

prevent both visible and more subtle forms of racial harassment; 65.1% 66.5%


prevent both visible and more subtle forms of sexual harassment; 62.6% 66.2%


prevent both visible and more subtle forms of harassment/bullying;

54.3% 59.3%


Equal Opportunities2001 2002

% of staff who consider themselves to be have been subjected to

harassment by (a) member(s) of staff during the last 12 months; 15.0% 15.9%

% of staff who consider themselves to have been subjected to

harassment or bullying by a patient/visitor during the last 12 months; 22.4% 21.4%

% of staff satisfied with the procedures put into place by their

organisation to deal with violence and aggression towards staff by

patients/visitors;

54.7% 63.4%


Health and Safety2001 2002

% of staff who know how to access occupational health services

provided by their organisation; 87.6% 93.3%

% of staff who know how to access counselling services provided by

their organisation;40.2% 48.6%

% of staff who have had an accident at work in the last 12 months; 11.7% 10.1%

% of staff who have personally been the victim of a violent incident at

work in the last 12 months; 7.0% 5.4%


Pay, Benefits and Facilities2001 2002

% of staff who are satisfied with their pay compared to pay packages

received for similar jobs elsewhere within the NHS; 42.4% 44.5%

% of staff are satisfied with their conditions of service (pay aside),

compared to conditions of service for similar jobs elsewhere within the

NHS;

61.5% 68.8%

% of staff are satisfied with the facilities provided to them when taking

rest periods on a day shift; 59.2% 62.1%


General2001 2002

% of staff who get at least some satisfaction from doing their job; 88.0% 87.0%

% of staff who are proud of the quality of service provided by their

organisation to the local community; 69.2% 69.8%

% of staff who rate their Trust as, at least, a good employer. 71.3% 75.2%

What to you is the best thing about working at your Trust?

West Suffolk Hospitals Trust West Suffolk Hospitals Trust

Specific QuestionsSpecific Questions

Top 5 Answers:

2001 2002

My colleagues/the staff are friendly or good to work with

27.3%My colleagues/the staff are friendly or good to work with

27.5%

Satisfaction derived from fulfilling a caring/useful role for society

16.3%Satisfaction derived from fulfilling a caring/useful role for society

16.9%

There is a good team spirit/working community here 13.7%

There is a good team spirit/working community here 13.4%

Secure employment/offers me a regular pay cheque/pension etc 8.8% A good happy working environment 9.6%

The patients/the gratitude of the patients makes it worthwhile 7.1% Flexible working arrangements and hours 8.9%

What to you is the best thing about working at your Trust?



2001 2002

“Small environment - more friendly atmosphere than a larger hospital.”

“Pension benefits”

“New manager, who has forward thinking ideas.”

“Giving the patient the best possible service”

“Different groups working together as multidisciplinary teams and sharing information and understanding.”

“Helping people get better and making their stay more bearable”

“Feeling part of the team and providing good service to patients and colleagues.”

“Working in a great department where communication etc is good”

“Working with people who care about what they are doing and knowing that my input matters.”

“My hours have been changed to suit my family commitments”

What to you is the worst thing about working at your Trust?



Top 5 Answers:

2001 2002

Low levels of staffing throughout the hospital 21.7% The car parking is inadequate/object to

having to pay for parking space 21.7%

The car parking is inadequate/object to having to pay for parking space 16.8% The pay is poor/does not reflect the work

we do 11.5%

My workload is too high/existing staff are overworked and/or overstressed 15.5%

My workload is too high/existing staff are overworked and/or overstressed 11.1%

The pay is poor/does not reflect the work we do 12.4%

Low levels of staffing throughout the hospital 10.8%

Poor/autocratic/uncaring senior management 8.6% The working environment is cramped/our facilities are inadequate 6.9%

What to you is the worst thing about working at your Trust?



2001 2002

“Staffing levels. Car parking is appalling. No funding/time for personal development. Have to do courses in own time.”

“Extra job stress is caused when the staffing levels are low, we need more staff”

“The worst thing is having so much to do and getting not enough pay or thanks for doing it.”

“Lack of proper, clear and comprehensive national guidelines to enable the best job we can do”

“Very poor communication, particularly down from senior levels ñ staff are often left feeling unsure of what is expected of them because of unavailable or poorly presented/limited guidelines.”

“Restructuring going on but no one gets told until the last moment, sometimes not even then!”

“Politics override practical decisions.”“Overwhelming administration and paperwork at the expense of clinical work”

“Lack of appreciation.”“I find it very stressful trying to park at certain times i.e. after 9am and that stress continues during my working day”


Specific QuestionsSpecific QuestionsIf you could do one thing to improve your working life at the

Trust, what would it be?

Top 5 Answers:

2001 2002

Improve the staff levels 21.6% Improve the staff levels 14.3%

Improve the pay 9.8% Improve the car parking facility 10.2%

Improve the car parking facility 9.4% Improve the pay 9.9%

Employ more people in the right areas or with the correct skills

9.3% Improve the working environment e.g., cleaner, less cramped, better maintained 8.2%

Improve funding/give us new equipment and/or better facilities

6.8% Employ more people in the right areas or with the correct skills 8.0%


Specific QuestionsSpecific QuestionsIf you could do one thing to improve your working life at

the Trust, what would it be?2001 2002

"Make Senior Managers hear what we are saying.”

“Better childcare facilities which considers shift times, no nursery stays open till 11pm”

“Employ enough staff so not all shift is spent covering sickness and low levels of staff.”

“More pay for Ancillary workers, its not just doctors and nurses that keeps a hospital working!”

“Better communication at all levels.” “Guarantee me a parking space everyday”

“Staff wards and departments according to need, not statistical averages.”

“The Trust listening and acting on staff concerns”

“To provide quality care to all patients in general.”

“To provide accommodation for overseas employees”

Documents

West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust Report on Confidential Survey of Employees 2002