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NHS Employees and Work Challenges
April 18 2002

 

Less than a quarter of NHS employees in the UK feel it is safe for them to challenge the way things are done within their organisation, according to the findings from ORC International's latest benchmarking study.

The data is drawn from the agency's benchmarking database Perspectives, which contains the results of employee surveys conducted by a range of companies and sectors, representing the opinions of more than one million UK employees. It contains the employee survey results of 20 NHS Trusts, employing nearly 50,000 staff.

The recent dataset provides an interesting perspective on employee opinion in the NHS, which contrasts greatly with the opinions of those working in other commercial sectors.

Further examples of the findings of the study include:

  • NHS staff are the least satisfied with their physical working conditions, with only 51% being satisfied - this compares with 71% of retail employees being satisfied and an overall average of 61%.
  • When asked about job satisfaction, NHS employees were actually the most likely to say that they enjoyed their work with a figure of 87%, compared with 76% in the financial sector and an average of 62% overall.
  • The NHS scores well below average when employees are asked if they think their organisation offers favourable opportunities for career progression, with a figure of 28%. The public sector scored the lowest at 25%, with the retail sector the highest at 41%.
  • 41% of NHS employees believe they are treated with fairness and respect by employers, compared to an overall average of 55%.


ORC International hosts eight industry-specific benchmarking groups, twice each year. These include Retail, Housing, Central Government, NHS, Local Government, FMCG, Financial Services and Hi-Tech. Membership of the groups is free to organisations that submit their employee opinion survey data, and each meeting provides a forum for sharing experiences in running surveys. Information about these benchmarking groups can be obtained by calling Sayrian Connell at ORC International on 020 7675 1153.



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