Medical staff at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn (QEH) are happier and more engaged, according to the results of its latest Medical Engagement Survey (MES). The results are among the best in the East of England.
This is further encouraging news for the Trust following the 2020 National Staff Survey results which saw improvements in every area, providing further evidence that staff morale continues to move in the right direction.
The Medical Engagement Survey (MES) was conducted in December 2020 and specifically targeted medical staff across the Trust. The results show a marked improvement, and that QEH has a highly engaged medical workforce. This is particularly true of consultant staff and most improved in those with leadership or management responsibilities.
The results of the MES show that:
- There was an upward shift in overall engagement in all categories measured.
- Consultants were strongly engaged in nine of the ten MES scales in line with either the ‘highest’ or ‘high’ relative engagement bands compared to the results of over 150 trusts, and over 21,000 doctors around the country.
- Medical staff felt that the COVID-19 crisis had fundamentally expanded medical influence on decision-making across the organisation and they felt more valued because of it. 88 % of medical staff felt that the COVID-19 crisis had led to greater co-operation between all clinical staff to some extent.
Whilst the results show improvements, they also highlight the fundamental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with staff reporting that their workload and complexity of the care they need to provide for patients have both increased markedly while we have been caring for patients with and without COVID-19. However, they also report that the Trust’s response to the pandemic has led to them feeling more valued and that they have more influence on how the Trust makes decisions.
Dr Frankie Swords, Medical Director at QEH, said: “I’m thrilled with these results which show that our medical staff are now incredibly engaged. Along with our National Staff Survey results, this shows that our staff are happier and more engaged despite the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m incredibly proud to be part of Team QEH, and this is another great step in our journey to becoming the best rural District General Hospital for patient and staff experience.”
Caroline Shaw, Chief Executive at QEH, said: “I’m extremely proud of these results, and to see them build on our December 2020 Care Quality Commission feedback, and the recent National Staff Survey results which demonstrate that staff engagement and culture is improving at QEH. The Trust is on a continuous improvement journey and our staff engagement and culture transformation programmes – which focus on kindness, wellness and fairness – are helping us to bring our values to life across our hospital so that we more consistently deliver compassionate care to our patients and their families.”
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