Trust of the Year delivers the best NHS Staff Survey results

Our Trust has built on its success as the HSJ Trust of the Year, awarded in October 2024, by securing the top position in the national NHS Staff Survey, when compared to other general acute and community NHS health providers in England.

Despite ongoing operational pressures across the NHS, the results published on Thursday 13 March, demonstrate our staff continue to feel engaged, valued, and supported.

SWFT work closely with partner organisations, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, and Wye Valley NHS Trust as part of the Foundation Group.

Highlighted as best practice within national NHSE guidance, the Foundation Group has a combined workforce of 20,000+ and the model is an improvement collaborative, sharing best practice at pace, increasing resilience, driving productivity, and responding to shared challenges.

Demonstrating the strength of the Foundation Group model, this year’s results saw an improvement in the ‘We are always learning’ theme for all four trusts, with scores comparing favourably to the national average. There is an open learning culture across the organisations, where improvement is everyone’s business. Staff are encouraged to share ideas and drive positive change, which is supported by quarterly Foundation Group improvement events and a dedicated yearly Improvement Week.

Our Trust, which is rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, has also made significant steps to improve flexibility for our workforce. Reflecting our ongoing efforts to be a very flexible employer, aligning with our long-term strategy to enhance staff health, wellbeing, and work-life balance.

Key focuses over the last 12 months to enhance flexible working practices, which have led to significant progress for SWFT, include:

• Streamlined recruitment processes, using digital innovations to speed up hiring and enhance workforce flexibility.
• Redesigned Flexible Working and Agile Working Policies to reflect the needs of a modern workforce.
• Flexible rostering rolled out to all inpatient areas at SWFT (23 wards), increasing staff shift requests from six to 10 per roster.
• Rosters published with eight weeks' notice instead of six to support better work-life balance by providing staff more flexibility over their schedules.
• Streamlined flexible working arrangement records to improve monitoring to drive progress.

Adam Carson, Managing Director at SWFT, said: “We are thrilled to be recognised as the best NHS employer. Our results improve year after year and this reflects our continued commitment to creating a supportive working environment, where improvement is everyone’s business.

“Flexibility in the workplace is key to ensuring our staff feel valued, and able to deliver the best possible care. Over the past year, we have made significant progress in improving flexible working options, and it is fantastic to see this recognised in our NHS Staff Survey results. By expanding self-rostering, simplifying our policies, and making it easier for staff to balance their work and personal lives, we are building a more resilient and engaged workforce.

“We know there is always more to do. We remain dedicated to listening to our staff, refining our approach, and driving further improvements. Our focus for the year ahead is to build on this momentum—enhancing flexibility, supporting wellbeing, and ensuring SWFT remains a great place to work and deliver outstanding patient care.”

Glen Burley, Chief Executive of SWFT and the Foundation Group, said: “The NHS Staff Survey is a hugely important indicator for NHS organisations. It enables our Trust to understand what we are doing well while helping us identify further opportunities for improvement. I am incredibly proud of this year's NHS Staff Survey results for all organisations within the Foundation Group. The improved results across all members demonstrate our ability to share learning and best practices, which ultimately improves staff engagement and patient care.

"SWFT remains dedicated to fostering an environment where all staff can thrive, balancing service delivery with individual needs, and ensuring high-quality patient care remains at the heart of everything we do. Through accessible idea-sharing initiatives across the Trust and the Foundation Group, we aim to continue to ensure active staff engagement in strategy and improvement, building on the success reflected in these survey results and our recognition as the HSJ Trust of the Year.”