LOCAL NHS STAFF TAKE PART IN NATIONAL SURVEY
Staff who work for the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield are being asked what they think about their working lives.
The South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust has sent out questionnaires to 800 employees as part of the second national NHS staff survey.
Speaking about the survey, Alan Davis, Director of Human Resources for the Trust said, ‘The survey is very important as it will gather information that will help us improve the working lives of our staff. Listening to both the positive, and not so positive, aspects of our staff’s working lives enables us to improve the way we manage, develop and enhance the potential of all Trust staff. Ultimately, this leads to better care for people who need to use our services, and their carers.’
Alan continued, ‘It’s vital for our Trust, and the wider NHS, that staff take part in this important national survey. Last year 47% of employees returned completed questionnaires and this year we are hoping for even more.’
From late September to early October a proportion of staff in every NHS trust in England will be invited to take part – about 370,000 people in total.
The survey contains questions about work life balance, team working, job satisfaction, training, management & supervision, violence and health & safety. It is organised by the independent inspection body, the Healthcare Commission, in conjunction with the Staff Survey Advice Centre at Aston University.
Healthcare Commission Chief Executive, Anna Walker, said, ‘The first ever national NHS staff survey last year was a great success with more than 200,000 people across the country taking part. Published in March this year, the results highlighted a number of important issues for staff. This second survey will allow us to continue to assess and monitor the way staff are managed and how the highlighted issues have been handled.’
The South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust will use the staff views expressed in the survey to introduce improvements in working conditions. The national staff survey will also provide an opportunity for the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust to benchmark itself against similar organisations and the national picture.
Collected data will be sent to Aston University in mid December and trusts will receive a detailed report of their survey findings in February 2005. The trust survey reports will be published by the Healthcare Commission in March 2005, together with a report of the overall national findings.