West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust Report on Confidential Survey of Employees 2001

West Suffolk HospitalsNHS TrustReport on ConfidentialSurvey of Employees 2001

Up to 1 year 17.7% 1-3 years 18.3% 3-10 years 25.5% 10 years or more 38.5% Profile of Respondents Length of service in current organisation: (including service spent with any organisations prior to their merger with another organisation)

Full time 52.2% Part time 47.8% Profile of Respondents Employment status:

Administrative & Clerical 16.1% Ancillary 6.9% Contracted out Services 1.9% Dental 0.0% Estates/Maintenance 2.5% Executive Directors/Board Members 0.2% Healthcare Assistant/Healthcare Support/Senior Support Worker 9.5% Medical 6.9% Midwifery 2.5% Senior Managers 2.3% Nursing 28.2% Pharmaceutical 1.4% Professions Allied to Medicine (PAMs) 7.1% Professional & Technical 4.1% Scientific & Professional 0.2% Volunteers 10.3% Profile of Respondents Staff Group:

Profile of Respondents Response rate: 2875 forms were sent out. 956 were returned; a response rate of 33.25%

Summary of Key Findings Training and Development • 64.4% are satisfied with the input that they have into identifying their training and development needs; • 50.7% are satisfied that sufficient time is made available to them to participate in training and development; • 75.5% are satisfied that they have received sufficient training to enable them to do their job;

Summary of Key Findings Personal Development • 40.0%have a Personal Development Plan agreed through appraisal or a similar process; Career Progression • 35.7% have had a formal appraisal with their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister in the last 12 months; • 45.6% are satisfied with the opportunities available to them for career progression within their organisation.

Summary of Key Findings Communications • 55.4% are satisfied with communications in their organisation; • 79.6% are satisfied with communications between themselves and their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; • 68.7% are satisfied that they receive all the information they need to do their job; • 90.1% are interested in receiving information about what is going on elsewhere in their organisation.

Summary of Key Findings Communications • 58.2% are satisfied with the information they receive about what is going on elsewhere in their organisation; • 33.6% have the opportunity to access work related information that is provided on the Internet/Intranet; • 58.2% have the opportunities within their normal working hours to attend Team/Department meetings.

Summary of Key Findings Staff Consultation • 67.4% feel that they are encouraged, at least to some extent, to put forward their views by their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; • 50.9% are satisfied that their organisation is taking steps to involve staff in day to day decision making at work; • 40.6% are satisfied that their organisation is taking steps to involve staff in long term decision making at work;

Summary of Key Findings Staff Consultation • 45.9% are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation seeks the views of staff; • 38.4% are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation takes account of the views of staff; • 43.1% are satisfied with the way in which any changes that may impact on them/their jobs are handled;

Summary of Key Findings Management Employee Relations • 84.7% are satisfied with their working relationship with their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; • 77.7% are satisfied with the support they receive from their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; • 89.9% find their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister approachable;

Summary of Key Findings Workload • 27.1% feels that the amount of work they are asked to do on a day shift is about right; • 36.8% are satisfied that their area of work is adequately staffed; • 33.1% feel that the amount of work related stress they experience on a day shift is acceptable for the type of job they do;

Summary of Key Findings Equal Opportunities • 65.1% are confident that their organisation is taking action to prevent both visible and more subtle forms of racial harassment; • 62.6% are confident that their organisation is taking action to prevent both visible and more subtle forms of sexual harassment; • 54.3% are confident that their organisation is taking action to prevent both visible and more subtle forms of harassment/bullying;

Summary of Key Findings Equal Opportunities • 15.0% consider themselves to be have been subjected to harassment by (a) member(s) of staff during the last 12 months; • 22.4% consider themselves to have been subjected to harassment or bullying by a patient/visitor during the last 12 months; • 54.7% are satisfied with the procedures put into place by their organisation to deal with violence and aggression towards staff by patients/visitors;

Summary of Key Findings Health and Safety • 87.6% know how to access occupational health services provided by their organisation; • 40.2% know how to access counselling services provided by their organisation; • 11.7% have had an accident at work in the last 12 months; • 7.0% have personally been the victim of a violent incident at work in the last 12 months;

Summary of Key Findings Pay, Benefits and Facilities • 42.4% are satisfied with their pay compared to pay packages received for similar jobs elsewhere within the NHS; • 61.5% are satisfied with their conditions of service (pay aside), compared to conditions of service for similar jobs elsewhere within the NHS; • 59.2% are satisfied with the facilities provided to them when taking rest periods on a day shift;

Summary of Key Findings General • 88.0% get at least some satisfaction from doing their job; • 69.2% are proud of the quality of service provided by their organisation to the local community; • 71.3% rate their Trust as, at least, a good employer.

My colleagues/the staff are friendly or good to work with 27.3% Satisfaction derived from fulfilling a caring/useful role for society 16.3% There is a good team spirit/working community here 13.7% Secure employment/offers me a regular pay cheque/pension etc 8.8% The patients/the gratitude of the patients makes it worthwhile 7.1% West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions What to you is the best thing about working at your Trust? Top 5 Answers:

West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions What to you is the best thing about working at your Trust? ìSmall environment - more friendly atmosphere than a larger hospital. New manager, who has forward thinking ideas.î ìMy personal training and development needs have always been met when I have asked for particular opportunities.î ìDifferent groups working together as multidisciplinary teams and sharing information and understanding.î ìFeeling part of the team and providing good service to patients and colleagues.î ìWorking with people who care about what they are doing and knowing that my input matters.î

Low levels of staffing throughout the hospital 21.7% The car parking is inadequate/object to having to pay for parking space 16.8% My workload is too high/existing staff are overworked and/or overstressed 15.5% The pay is poor/does not reflect the work we do 12.4% Poor/autocratic/uncaring senior management 8.6% West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions What to you is the worst thing about working at your Trust? Top 5 Answers:

West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions What to you is the worst thing about working at your Trust? ìStaffing levels. Car parking is appalling. No funding/time for personal development. Have to do courses in own time.î ìThe worst thing is having so much to do and getting not enough pay or thanks for doing it.î ìVery 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.î ìPolitics override practical decisions.î ìLack of appreciation.î

Improve the staff levels 21.6% Improve the pay 9.8% Improve the car parking facility 9.4% Employ more people in the right areas or with the correct skills 9.3% Improve funding/give us new equipment and/or better facilities 6.8% West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions If you could do one thing to improve your working life at the Trust, what would it be? Top 5 Answers:

West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions If you could do one thing to improve your working life at the Trust, what would it be? "Make Senior Managers hear what we are saying.î ìEmploy enough staff so not all shift is spent covering sickness and low levels of staff.î ìBetter communication at all levels.î ìStaff wards and departments according to need, not statistical averages.î ìTo provide quality care to all patients in general.î

West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust Report on Confidential Survey of Employees 2001