​Our 2023 staff survey results show that we are in line or above the average for five out of seven People Promise themes.

Improvements are making a difference to our working lives at Oxford Health. We’re pulling together and making great teams, but there’s more to do.

That’s according to the latest results of the NHS Staff Survey published today.

A total of 3,279 Oxford Health staff completed the 2022 NHS Staff Survey. That’s more than half – 53 per cent of colleagues – and in real terms about the same number of people as in 2021.

The NHS Staff Survey aligns with the People Promise. A promise to ensure that every voice working in the NHS is heard from every background and across every role. A total of 117 standard questions were asked at Oxford Health in the 2022 survey.

We scored higher than the average for two out of seven elements of the People Promise:

• We are compassionate and inclusive
• We each have a voice that counts

We scored average 

• We are recognised and rewarded
• We are safe and healthy
• We are a team

We were below average in

• We work flexibly
• We are always learning

The Trust also scored above the average for Staff Engagement and 0.1 below average for staff morale.

What did we learn?

The annual staff survey is a key tool to allow us all to understand how we collectively feel about working at the Trust and how our individual experience compares to the Trust and national picture.

Staff satisfaction, motivation and engagement is directly linked to improving the quality of care for our patients. Thanks to you, the staff survey can help us to focus on areas where we need to continue to improve your daily experiences at work and highlights areas where we should rightly feel proud.

Colleagues told us Oxford Heath is an inclusive and compassionate place to work, they enjoy working as a team, feel trusted to do their job and feel their job makes a difference to people’s lives.

Areas showing most improvement from 2021 relate to work life balance and job flexibility.

And colleagues feel better supported by the organisation and able to speak out if they have a concern We are happy with the standard of care if a friend or family member were to be cared for by the Trust, with 81.3 per cent of staff thinking that care of patients is the organisation’s top priority, well above the average nationally

Areas for development include pay, staffing level and appraisals in keeping with the national picture. The NHS Staff Survey came to a close at the end of October 2022 as Royal College of Nursing members balloted upon strike action.

Dr Nick Broughton, chief executive of Oxford Health, said: “I am incredibly proud of the way in which we both collectively and individually, have faced the challenges of the past few years and have continued to provide care with dedication and compassion. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for everything they do at Oxford Health.

“I look forward to working with everyone to strengthen what we do well, and reflect, learn and innovate for the future as we attempt to make Oxford Health the best possible place to both receive care and to work. This year’s staff survey results highlight that there is more we must do to become a truly outstanding employer.”

Chief People Officer Charmaine Desouza said: “In the past year we’ve been working hard to focus on how we can improve people’s experience at work and celebrating innovative and transformational steps individual teams have been taking to improve just one element of their working lives. These improvements have been as a direct result of NHS Staff Survey feedback and we’ll be asking the same of colleagues for the year to come so that we continue to translate the Staff Survey results into tangible improvements for ourselves and colleagues.”