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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ï 50.9% are satisfied that their organisation is taking steps to involve staff in day to day decision making at work; Staff Consultation ï 40.6% are satisfied that their organisation is taking steps to involve staff in long term decision making at work; Summary of Key Findings ï 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;

Summary of Key Findings ï 38.4% are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation takes account of the views of staff; Staff Consultation ï 45.9% are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation seeks the views of staff; ï 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 ï 84.7% are satisfied with their working relationship with their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; ï 77.7% are satisfied with the support they receive from their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister; ï 89.9% find their immediate manager/supervisor/charge nurse/sister approachable;

Summary of Key Findings Workload ï 27.1% feels that the amount of work they are asked to do on a day shift is about right; ï 36.8% are satisfied that their area of work is adequately staffed; ï 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 ï 65.1% are confident that their organisation is taking action to prevent both visible and more subtle forms of racial harassment; ï 54.3% are confident that their organisation is taking action to prevent both visible and more subtle forms of harassment/bullying; ï 62.6% are confident that their organisation is taking action to prevent both visible and more subtle forms of sexual harassment;

Summary of Key Findings Equal Opportunities ï 15.0% consider themselves to be have been subjected to harassment by (a) member(s) of staff during the last 12 months; ï 22.4% consider themselves to have been subjected to harassment or bullying by a patient/visitor during the last 12 months; ï 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 ï 87.6% know how to access occupational health services provided by their organisation; ï 40.2% know how to access counselling services provided by their organisation; ï 11.7% have had an accident at work in the last 12 months; ï 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 ï 42.4% are satisfied with their pay compared to pay packages received for similar jobs elsewhere within the NHS; ï 61.5% are satisfied with their conditions of service (pay aside), compared to conditions of service for similar jobs elsewhere within the NHS; ï 59.2% are satisfied with the facilities provided to them when taking rest periods on a day shift;

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

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

What to you is the best thing about working at your Trust? West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions 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

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

What to you is the worst thing about working at your Trust? West Suffolk Hospitals Trust Specific Questions 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

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