29 March 2002
Its report, Counting the smiles, said the government must act quickly to tackle the twin sources of disillusionment – chronic staff shortages that make working conditions difficult and the 'strong' perception among staff that their work is not valued.
The report, based on a series of focus groups, found that staff felt most demotivated when managers did not listen to their concerns.
Many were denied opportunities for further training because of staff shortages, while the dearth of slack in the system meant some due to attend courses were pulled out at the last minute to work extra shifts.
One manager told the researchers this was 'incredibly demoralising'.
NHS employees also felt politicians who had once blamed teachers for poor public services had now shifted their sights to doctors, nurses and managers, and that this had altered the public perception of health service staff for the worse.
King's Fund chief executive Rabbi Julia Neuberger said a highly motivated workforce was essential to the smooth running of the NHS.
'Too many nurses, doctors, managers, therapists, care assistants and ancillary staff are demoralised. That damages their motivation and contributes to the dangerously high turnover levels experienced by many NHS trusts,' she said.
'It is crucial that NHS staff know that their political masters value their work, not merely through rhetoric but through concerted action to promote the value of public service, to continue improving pay and career opportunities, and to make their working lives considerably better.'
PFmar2002
