• NHS England publishes results of its 2016 NHS staff survey
• More staff able to do their job to standard they are pleased with but 31% agreed that there weren’t enough staff
• We say improvement is reflected in the efforts made by trusts to listen to staff and respond to concerns but high levels of extra hours show a service being stretched.

NHS England has published the results of the 2016 NHS Staff Survey. More than 420,000 staff responded. 

The findings indicate slightly improved overall staff engagement compared with the previous year. The survey also found:

• 80% of staff said they were able to do their job to a standard they were pleased with, but fewer (59%) reported being able to deliver what they aspired to
• 31% agreed there were enough staff
• 71% reported working extra hours
• 14.9% said they had experienced physical violence from patients, relatives or the public in the last 12 months

Responding to the findings, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

“This survey is invaluable in highlighting concerns and the state of morale across the NHS workforce. There is strong evidence that good levels of staff engagement are linked to better care for patients, so the improvement we see here – albeit small - is welcome.

The high numbers of staff working extra hours indicates a workforce that is being stretched up to, and sometimes beyond, its limits.

“At first sight increasing engagement at a time of unprecedented demands on staff and severe financial constraints might not be what you would expect.

“However it reflects the concerted efforts made by trusts to listen to staff and respond to concerns. It also reinforces other evidence that staff are rising to the challenges they face, and doing all they can to provide the best possible care in difficult circumstances

“It is worrying that fewer than one in three of those who responded agreed that there were enough staff for them to be able to do their job properly. Fewer than two out of three were able to deliver the care that they aspired to. The high numbers of staff working extra hours indicates a workforce that is being stretched up to, and sometimes beyond, its limits.

“It is also very disappointing that nearly one in seven staff say they have encountered physical violence from patients, relatives or the public in the last 12 months. This is completely unacceptable and should be addressed as a matter of urgency. All NHS provider boards will wish to consider and act on this invaluable data to make the most of the collective skills, ideas and talents that create caring cultures within their organisations.

“The findings show a health service that is running at full stretch. We have argued that without additional funding, this is not sustainable. This survey underlines that workforce concerns must also be a key priority.”