NHS staff survey: Best and worst performing trusts

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The annual NHS survey has shown staff continue to believe the care their trusts provide is safe, with 69 per cent saying they would recommend care at their organisation to a friend or relative.

The 2016 survey results, released today, are almost unchanged from 2015, in response to the statement: “If a friend or relative needed treatment I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation.” In 2015, 69 per cent of staff agreed or strongly agreed.

However, there is significant variation at trust level.

Ten worst performing trusts against the statement: “If a friend or relative needed treatment I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation”

Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust – 45 per cent of staff agreed or strongly agreed
North Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust – 45 per cent
Norfolk and Suffolk FT – 48 per cent
Walsall Healthcare Trust – 48 per cent
North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust – 49 per cent
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust – 49 per cent
Isle of Wight Trust (acute sector) – 49 per cent
North Middlesex University Hospital Trust – 51 per cent
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust – 52 per cent
Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust – 52 per cent

Three mental health trusts were the worst performers on this statement when the total staff agreeing or strongly agreeing were added up.

Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust had the lowest score in the country, with only 45 per cent of staff recommending it. However, this was a significant increase 32 per cent in 2015.

The biggest year on year decrease was at Oxleas Foundation Trust, which saw the number of staff agreeing with the statement falling from 72 per cent to 65 per cent.

Emergency care practitioners were the professional group least likely to agree with the statement. The worst performing provider on this measure was the Isle of Wight Trust’s ambulance service, with just 45 per cent of those staff agreeing.

Of the 10 worst perfmorming acute trusts, four are also in special measures: Walsall, North Cumbria, Worcestershire Acute, and Brighton and Sussex.

Ten worst performing acute trusts against the statement: “If a friend or relative needed treatment I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation”

Walsall Healthcare Trust – 48 per cent of staff agreed or strongly agreed
North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust – 49 per cent
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust – 49 per cent
North Middlesex University Hospital Trust – 51 per cent
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust – 52 per cent
Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust – 52 per cent
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust – 54 per cent
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust – 55 per cent
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole FT – 55 per cent
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust – 56 per cent

Specialist trusts dominated the top 10 best performers, with only one non-specialist – Newcastle upon Tyne FT – among them.

Ten best performing acute trusts against the statement: “If a friend or relative needed treatment I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation”

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital FT – 95 per cent of staff agreed or strongly agreed
The Christie FT – 93 per cent
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre FT – 93 per cent
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital FT – 93 per cent
The Walton Centre FT – 92 per cent
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals FT – 91 per cent
Queen Victoria Hospital FT – 91 per cent
The Royal Marsden FT – 91 per cent
Royal Brompton and Harefield FT – 90 per cent
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children FT – 90 per cent

The best performing acute trusts tended to be members of the Shelford Group or in the South.

Ten best performing non-specialist trusts against the statement: “If a friend or relative needed treatment I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation”

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals FT – 91 per cent of staff agreed or strongly agreed
Guy’s and St Thomas’ FT – 89 per cent
Royal Devon and Exeter FT – 85 per cent
Taunton and Somerset FT – 84 per cent
University College London Hospitals FT – 84 per cent
Derby Teaching Hospitals FT – 84 per cent
Salisbury FT – 83 per cent
Cambridge University Hospitals FT – 83 per cent
Poole Hospital FT – 82 per cent
University Hospital Southampton FT – 82 per cent

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust, which took over Manchester Health and Social Care Trust at the start of 2017,did not comment on what accounted for the trust’s low score.

He said in a statement: ”GMMH is aware from speaking to staff and from previous staff surveys that the workforce within the former MMHSC services had several concerns that needed addressing.

“We have listened to those issues and have just started embarking on a programme to improve services in Manchester and this is supported by all stakeholders and will involve staff throughout.

“GMW has a strong track record of staff engagement (as recorded in this survey) and this is continuing within the new trust.

“GMMH is very proud to see the results from this same survey show 71 per cent of GMW staff said ‘If a friend or relative needed treatment, I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation’. We are now working to achieve similarly positive results across the entire trust.”

Another low-scoring mental health trust that is also headed for merger said its score reflected finance and staffing problems.

A spokesman for North Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust said: ”These results send a clear message from our staff that they are working under the extreme pressure but remain totally focused on delivering the highest quality care for our patients in challenging circumstances, including local and national staff shortages and also financial pressures.

”The survey illustrates the urgent need to create a new future for services with the planned merger between ourselves and the South Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust. Both organisations firmly believe the merger will bring greater stability to secondary mental health services in Essex, release more money for front line services, improve recruitment, and enable us to improve services to our patients.

”An organisational development programme is already being planned for the new Trust to ensure that all staff within the new organisation are fully engaged and involved, and their views are not just heard but fully considered within the decision making processes.”