Published on: 16 March 2023

The results of the 2022 NHS Staff Survey show positive improvement at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) with staff morale now above than the national average in the NHS.

Over 3,200 NHS staff working in hospitals and in community teams across South Tyneside, Sunderland and other areas, took part in the 2022 survey, with 74% of staff agreeing that the care of patients is the Trust’s key priority.

The results show positive improvement in almost 50% of the survey’s questions compared to the 2021 survey.  
The Trust scored higher than the national average when staff were asked about raising concerns, with 88% of staff feeling able to report errors, near misses or incidents.

STSFT was also above the national average for its work to improve equality and diversity and create a compassionate and inclusive culture.  71% of staff felt that the Trust respected individual differences such as cultures, working styles, backgrounds and ideas.

Last year STSFT launched a widespread staff engagement programme - the BIG Team Talk - to involve the Trust’s 8,500 workforce in resetting the Trust’s vision and plans for the future.  As a result, The Trust has now committed to improving staff experience as one of its main priorities.  The latest results show improvement in 7 of the 9 specific questions which measure staff engagement levels in the Trust.

Commenting on the 2022 NHS Staff Survey, STSFT welcomed the results but leaders are clear there is still much more to do.  Kath Griffin, the Trust’s Executive Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, said:

"It is very encouraging to see our results moving in the right direction in so many areas and we now want to build on that momentum and push these results up even further.

"We know that a happy and engaged workforce can have such a positive impact, not only for staff themselves but also for our patients.  It is so important that we do all we can to look after our people and support them to be the best they can be.

"Through our BIG Team Talk activity we’ve really listened to what staff are telling us and been able to offer support in lots of different ways.  This includes help to deal with the cost of living crisis, childcare, wellbeing checks and psychological support.

"We want people to feel proud to work here, proud to recommend our services and proud to be part of our team.  That means we must keep listening and improving the care and support we offer our colleagues to make STSFT a really great place to be."

The NHS Staff Survey, seeks the views of staff working across England and is the largest survey of staff opinion in the UK. It is recognised as an important way of ensuring that the views of staff working in the NHS inform local improvements and that staff have their say in the delivery of high quality, safe and effective care.

STSFT is now looking at the feedback as part of its ongoing work to support colleagues.  The responses will be used alongside a wealth of other information as leaders work to support more than 8,000 members of staff.  To view the full results visit: Results | NHS Staff Survey (nhsstaffsurveys.com)