West Suffolk Hospital chief executive Stephen Dunn reports on NHS Staff Survey figures
West Suffolk Hospital is celebrating ‘excellent’ NHS staff survey results but is still almost 300 full-time employees short of their plan.
The trust which manages the infirmary in Bury St Edmunds has admitted recruitment can ‘be a challenge’, although more nurses than ever are manning wards after a recent intake.
Figures show 3,428 whole time equivalent staff were employed in February against a plan of 3,725. The trust hired temporary staff to bring the total to 99.3 per cent of the plan level.
The trust denied a shortage of staff had led to any departments being considered unsafe.
In a board meeting on Friday (March 29) chief executive Stephen Dunn shared thoughts on the 2018 NHS Staff Survey, which ranked the trust ranked as the best in the east and Midlands for engagement, relating to staff satisfaction.
He said: “We are delighted to have maintained our excellent staff survey results. We know staff feel engaged, happy and supported.”
The trust reported a ‘never event’ in February, the second time an error the NHS say should never happen has occurred in three months. It is understood no harm was caused.
Also in February, 87.9 per cent of patients were seen in A&E within four hours, three areas of cancer care missed the NHS target and 18,341 patients were on the waiting list for treatment - including seven who waited more than 52 weeks.
Dr Dunn said: “These figures, taken from February, reflect the challenges that we faced during another extremely busy winter. More than 6,000 patients attended the emergency department in one month alone, a staggering eight per cent increase on the previous February, and demand for beds was significant with a six per cent rise in admissions.”
The chief executive said a ten per cent increase in A&E has been felt this year to date, but despite the pressure, staff have prioritised safety and bettered last year’s figures for waiting times and for reducing falls.
He added: “We are one of only a few ‘outstanding’ trusts in the country, but we are not perfect and will continue to strive to deliver the best and highest quality care we can.”
