The latest NHS staff survey results show that the Isle of Wight NHS Trust is taking positive action on health and wellbeing.
In November 2021, the Trust saw the highest number of staff take part in the national NHS Staff Survey, with 2,291 people (65 per cent) completing the survey to share their views on everything from patient safety to flexible working.
There was a 30 per cent increase in staff saying the Trust was taking positive action on health and wellbeing, with six in ten staff feeling the impacts of new initiatives that have been introduced to support staff feeling happy, healthy and motivated.
Pennycook: New initiatives prioritise wellbeing of staff
Julie Pennycook, Director of People and Organisational Development said,
“Whilst the impact of Covid-19 increased the national focus on the importance of supporting NHS staff health and wellbeing, we are committed to prioritising this long term.
“We have not only introduced new initiatives for staff such as fast track to mental health support, a confidential support line and a revamped staff recognition programme, but we have stepped up how we communicate these to ensure we can reach all staff across the Trust.
“Wellbeing is at the forefront of our decision making and we fully realise that, in feeling supported at work, we can all provide better care and services to our Island community.”
Emotionally exhausting
In addition to staff saying the Trust took action on health and wellbeing, three in ten staff reported finding their work emotionally exhausting.
Julie Pennycook added,
“Many of us continue to feel the impact of the pandemic and how we continue to work at pace to tackle the backlog.
“There is still much more to do to address stress, musculoskeletal issues and burn out and this will be our ongoing focus.”
Less incidences of bullying and harassment
Another key area of improvement was staff saying they experienced less incidences of bullying and harassment from patients, service users and members of the public.
In addition, more staff are feeling confident that concerns about unsafe clinical practice are being addressed. This follows the outcome of the Care Quality Commission report in September 2021 which found that the Trust is determined to meet the needs of patients and the public.
Above national average in three themes
This year the Isle of Wight NHS Trust scored above national average in three themes including feeling recognised and rewarded, always learning and being flexible.
As England’s only integrated NHS Trust providing hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services, the survey results are presented for each service.
Setting the bar nationally
Areas of the Trust are setting the bar nationally, with the Island’s Ambulance and Patient Transport Service recording some of the best results in the country, scoring highest in its category for seven out of the nine themes.
The Community Service, which plays a vital role in supporting people with complex health and care needs to live independently in their own homes, also set the bar nationally in two out of the nine themes.
- Ambulance Service: compassionate and inclusive, recognised and rewarded, a voice that counts, safe and healthy, always learning, flexible, staff engagement.
- Community: always learning, morale
Cattell: A big thank you to every member of our Trust
Darren Cattell, Chief Executive said
“We have seen our highest ever response rate to the NHS Staff Survey, which comes off the back of the Care Quality Commission rating our Trust ‘Good’. This highlights the progress we are making, as we strive to be a great place to work and deliver high quality services and compassionate care.
“It is really encouraging to see that more of our team members have told us that we are making significant improvements to support their wellbeing at work. This in turn will have a positive impact on the care and services we are able to provide to our Island community. We also know what our teams want us to further improve on and we will act on that feedback.
“The wonderful support of our community has meant so much as we reach two years into the pandemic. I would also like to say a big thank you to every member of our Trust who has played a part in creating a supportive, inclusive and compassionate environment.”
Areas for improvement
The survey also highlighted several areas for improvement, including the need to support more staff to report acts of violence and to review the appraisal process to better support people carrying out their roles.
Find out more about the Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s staff survey results.
News shared by Isle of Wight NHS Trust, in their own words. Ed
