A new survey of staff at Cornwall’s largest hospital has found that just 54% of them would be happy with their friends or relatives being treated or cared for there, writes Richard Whitehouse, local democracy reporter.
The latest results of the 2017 NHS survey, which covered a broad spectrum of issues, have been published for Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) ahead of a board meeting.
The annual survey is carried out nationally with local results then provided for hospital trusts.
At RCHT 2,860 staff responded to the survey, which was carried out in October and November when the trust had been placed in special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Only 54% of staff would recommend RCHT in Truro as a place to receive care or treatment (the national figure is 71%) and just 48% would recommend RCHT as a place to work, compared to the national figure of 61%.
A summary of the board report states: “We are not complacent, there is still much to do to improve the reported experience of staff here at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust. The Quality Improvement Plan, and work already under way to deliver this, seeks to address clear priorities with full involvement from staff. A key part of this work is the enabling work streams that address culture and leadership, communications and engagement and the development of a Quality Improvement Hub; put more simply ‘the way we do things around here’, ‘how we talk about what and how we are doing’ and ‘the tools we will provide to do the things we need to do’.
“The data from the 2017 National Staff Survey has informed this work. Actions are already under way to address the elements set out in this report.”