According to the 2017 NHS Staff Survey results, staff engagement has seen its first decline since 2014 while staff members’ satisfaction with the quality of work and care they deliver has decreased due to the stressful environment. However, passion still drives the heart of the historic organisation.

Of those surveyed, 89.7% of staff agree that their role makes a difference to patients. Around 51.8% of staff were satisfied with the opportunities for flexible working patterns and 84.2% of staff believe that their organisation provides equal opportunities.

NHS England bought the NHS Staff Survey from the Department of Health in 2013.  Since then, the NHS Staff Survey results work as an employee performance index, while they are also used by NHS to determine the levels of quality and safety. 

Partaking employees fill in 30 mandatory basic questions. They then have the choice to expand on more questions regarding patient experience, health and safety, leadership and development, and values. Staff in ambulance charities additionally answer a non-compulsory questionnaire on patient experience. The staff’s responses are anonymous.

In the 2017 survey the response rate increased by 1% compared to last year’s, while of the survey’s 32 findings, 21 have worsened and 11 have improved in 2017 compared with 2016.

NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer says, “The country needs to take these challenging results seriously. We cannot expect staff to absorb additional work pressures year on year without it having an adverse effect on their experience of work.” 

The results have shown concerns over extensive amounts of work, understaffing and unrealistically high expectations of the NHS, raising concern to both NHS and patience as regards to the future of the organisation.

On the topic of a solution to combat the issues that the survey has revealed Mortimer says, “A long-term solution to sustainable investment in the NHS – and other vital public services – is clearly required. It’s disappointing but understandable that staff are less satisfied with the standard of care they are able to provide and that they are feeling more stressed. I am however encouraged that staff continue to be willing to recommend the NHS as a place to be cared for.”

Despite its mostly disappointing results, the report’s scores are still higher than in 2014 and some improvement has been noted, such as increased support from managers and more confidence that the organisation takes action on health and wellbeing.

The organisation’s communications team can play a key role in NHS’s further development, providing people with motivation through initiatives that encourage employee engagement and give a grounding in crisis management.

Mortimer says, “The fact that more staff feel their managers and organisations support their health and wellbeing is positive and is a result of longstanding efforts by employers to address workplace health issues. The increasing focus on supporting staff through mental health issues is clearly having a positive impact and we are keen to share the lessons learnt from the NHS with other employers.”

The importance of the survey is evident as it opens a discussion on issues such as pay, recruitment, stress, workload and motivation. Its results, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, can help to ensure NHS remains a healthy organisation driven by committed employees during its pivotal 70th year and beyond.

Read 'Why the NHS needs communicators,' our roundup from the inaugural NHS Communications Conference 2017, here

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