More of our colleagues than ever took part in the 2024 NHS staff survey, with our response rate shooting up from 41% in 2023 to 55%.

It’s one of the largest workforce surveys in the world, carried out every year to improve staff experiences across the NHS.

The results, published on Thursday 13 March, show more of our staff are happy with the standard of care we provide, rising from 49% in 2023 to 52%, and would recommend our Trust as a place to work (54%, up from 51%.)

They also said they felt more involved in decision making and can make suggestions for improvements in their areas.

The majority of staff agree patient care is our top priority, and we saw a 4% increase in the number who feel we act on concerns raised by patients, rising to 70%.

The results also show us where we must improve. Too many staff are experiencing burnout and 60% said they had come to work despite not feeling well enough.

We’ve already recruited more clinical staff to improve patient care, address workload pressures and reduce burnout, while our ‘Flex for Life’ campaign highlights the options available to address work-life balance.

Almost one in four (24%) said they had been discriminated against because of their ethnic background, with some experiencing this from their colleagues. We also saw an increase in staff experiencing violence while at work.

Matthew Trainer, our Chief Executive, said:

It’s good news many more of our colleagues completed the survey, showing they believe it’s worth taking the time to speak up about what works and what needs to improve.

However, it’s unacceptable staff are experiencing violence and discrimination in our hospitals. We will continue our ‘No Abuse, No Excuse’ campaign, and will do more to support our staff to speak out about their experiences so we can take appropriate action.

Our campaign is displayed throughout our hospitals to reinforce the consequences of bad behaviour, including yellow and red cards. We’ve also provided de-escalation and breakaway training, increased security in high-risk areas and have rapid response teams to manage aggressive situations quickly.