Health staff in Bury have their say on working conditions

Date published: 02 June 2009

Health workers in Bury have being having their say on working for the NHS, their experiences and what really matters to them.

The results from the 2008 national staff survey have been made available and will pave the way for future improvements in working conditions, and quality of care for patients.

The annual survey is used to assess how well NHS organisations are delivering the principles and values of the NHS as set out in the NHS Constitution, and to encourage organisations to address the issues that really matter to staff.

A record number of staff (71%) from NHS Bury and Community Services Bury (Bury Primary Care Trust) completed the survey during 2008, the 8th highest response rate nationally.

NHS Bury and Community Services Bury fell into the top 20% of similar organisations in 12 key areas including; working in well structured teams; support staff receive from immediate managers; action from employer towards violence and harassment, and the ability for staff to contribute towards improvements.

The organisation was not in the bottom 20% of similar organisations for any key areas.

Significant improvements have been made since the 2007 staff survey in a number of areas including percentage of staff receiving appraisals, quality of job design and reduction in staff working extra hours.

Stephen Mills, Chief Executive for NHS Bury said;

“It’s really important that we are able to gather an accurate picture and understand what staff experience in their working lives. We are confident that the results are representative of the majority of staff due to the excellent response rate achieved. The results will inform improvements in working conditions and practices for the benefit of staff, and the patients we serve.”

“There is room for improvement in some areas including some elements of staff training uptake and appraisals, and staff will be fully involved in developing next steps toward achieving these improvements.”