12 March 2004
NHS staff are happy with their managers and believe they have their best interests at heart, the Commission for Health Improvement said this week.
In what is believed to be the largest survey of its kind, Chi questioned more than 200,000 NHS staff about their working lives and their attitudes to managers.
Generally, the reaction was positive. The survey results will form part of the assessment of trusts' star ratings, due out in the summer.
Almost three-quarters were satisfied with their jobs, even though a similar proportion regularly worked more than their contracted hours.
Chi also found that 63% thought their employer had a positive attitude towards providing a good work-life balance for them, while 71% believed managers played a significant role in buffering them from stress.
However, 7% said they had been bullied by their manager or supervisor. Some 15% said they had been attacked physically, usually by patients or patients' relatives.
Alastair Henderson, acting director of the NHS Confederation, insisted the health service must not rest on its laurels. 'The report clearly indicates areas where more work is needed but shows that the efforts of NHS organisations to improve working lives for staff are paying off.
'The challenge now is for the NHS to tackle the unacceptable levels of violence and harassment of staff and to further encourage staff to highlight risks so that potentially harmful errors or near misses can be avoided.'
This was echoed by Karen Jennings, head of health at Unison. 'The report provides evidence of the dedication and commitment of NHS workers, despite the workload, pressure and stress they are under. It is heartening to note [the] high levels of support from their supervisors,' she said.
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