NHS Staff Survey results published

The results of the 2022 NHS Staff Survey have been published.

The survey is one of the largest workforce surveys in the world and has been conducted every year since 2003.

The survey asks NHS staff in England about their experiences working for NHS organisations.

Over 1.3 million NHS employees in England were invited to participate in the survey between September and December 2022, with 264 NHS organisations taking part, including all 215 trusts in England. 636,348 staff responded giving a 46 per cent response rate.

86.9 per cent of respondents said that they feel their role makes a difference to patients and 74 per cent that care of patients is their organisation’s top priority.

57.4 per cent of those who responded would recommend their organisation as a place to work.

62.9 per cent said they were happy with the standard of care provided by their organisation, this is compared to 74.2 per cent in 2020.

Only 56 per cent of respondents said that they feel their organisation acts fairly with regard to career progression or promotion regardless of ethnic background, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or age.

8.3 per cent of staff reported that they had experienced discrimination from patients/ service users, their relatives or other members of the public and 9 per cent said that they had experienced it from managers or colleagues.

Importantly, only 25.6 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with their level of pay. Furthermore, only 26.4 per cent said there are enough staff at their organisation for them to do their job properly and only 55.6 per cent say they have enough materials, supplies and equipment to do their work.

With regards to staff wellbeing, 44.8 per cent of staff have felt unwell as a result of workrelated stress in the last 12 months and 56.6 per cent have come into work in the last three months despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties.

Responding to the latest NHS Staff Survey results, NHS national director for people, Em Wilkinson-Brice, said: “Our staff have shown time and time again how vital they are to the country, and I would like to thank each and every one of them for the work they do for patients every day.

“In the last 12 months alone, staff have been under unimaginable pressure – they have managed four record-breaking months for attendances in A&E, treated more cancer patients than ever before and faced the twindemic of covid and flu.

“The survey results sadly show a decrease in satisfaction and while it does show improvement in people feeling supported by their line manager and that staff have more opportunities to develop in their careers than last year, we know more needs to be done.

“So the NHS is supporting organisations and systems to focus on those things staff tell us matter to them, such as flexible working, line management, leadership development and career pathways within a compassionate and inclusive culture.”

Nurse Nisha Jose, clinical team leader at Mersey Care’s Clinical Telehealth Hub, said: “People yearn for normality and the comfort of home, yet when they get home, they may become worried.

“With our virtual ward programme, we can do everything that would happen on a hospital ward. We take observations every six hours to identify any issues and we can even carry out ECGs at the patient’s home. It has truly transformed the way we deliver care.”

NHS Scotland stops using anaesthetic gas

The NHS in Scotland has become the first in the UK to stop using Desflurane, an anaesthetic, during surgery.

The drug has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide.

It is believed that removing it from hospital theatres across NHS Scotland saves emissions equivalent to powering 1,700 homes every year.

The removal of desflurane is the first action of the National Green Theatres Programme which is due to be formally launched in Spring 2023. Part of the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability strategy and hosted by NHS Golden Jubilee, the programme will identify areas where operating theatres can become more environmentally friendly.

Then cabinet secretary for health and social care (now first minister), Humza Yousaf said: “I am immensely proud that we have become the first nation in the UK to stop using environmentally harmful anaesthetics in our NHS.

“Programmes like this are key to our transition to become a net-zero health service, whilst ensuring patient safety remains at the heart of every clinical decision.”

Kenneth Barker, clinical lead for the National Green Theatres Programme, said: “Theatres are high carbon and energy intensive areas that produce high volumes of waste, so reducing the environmental impact of theatres will make a positive difference toward achieving Scotland’s net zero targets.