The finding comes following a survey of staff working in health and social care organisations across Northern Ireland. Conducted by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), staff were asked a range of questions about their working lives, under three themes: ‘The Resources to Deliver’; ‘Support to do a Good Job’, and ‘A Worthwhile Job and the Chance to Develop’.
Around 17,500 staff were surveyed, with an overall response rate 39%.
Summary of findings:
- 77 % of staff said that they had an interesting job;
- 80% said that they were satisfied with the quality of care they deliver to patients;
- Around two thirds of staff (68%) said that they had worked more than their contracted hours in the last 12 months, with 83% of those saying the reason they did so was to provide the best care they can for patients.
Welcoming the results of the survey, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: "This survey demonstrates the high level of commitment and dedication of staff working in our Health and Social Care organisations. I am committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our staff is given the upmost priority.
"The survey has provided valuable data which will be used to identify areas that need to be addressed and inform future policy development. By repeating the survey every two years, we can gauge the impact of policy changes and introduce better working practices and conditions to improve both the experience of Health and Social Care staff and the quality of care provided to patients.
"My Department will continue to work with staff, organisations and trade union representative to address the areas of concern highlighted in this survey."
When asked whether they had experienced physical violence at work, either from patients or other service users the past 12 months, 15% of staff said that they had. A further 22% said they had experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients and service users in the past 12 months.
The Minister said: "Unfortunately the results of this survey show that our healthcare staff are still exposed to abuse on a daily basis. This is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Police Service and Public Prosecution Services to ensure the protection of health service staff.
"In addition, to further reinforce the zero tolerance message, I am about to commence new legislation which will allow the removal of individuals who create a nuisance or disturbance from hospital premises. This will enable HSC staff to deal with this behaviour before it escalates to more serious incidents, which will help ensure that hospitals are safer for both staff and patients.”
Notes to editors:
1. The HSC Staff Survey took place from 2 November -11 December 2009.
2. Around 17,500 staff were surveyed; a total of 6,737 participated, making the overall response rate 39%.
3. The findings of the survey are being taken forward by the Partnership Forum at a strategic level and through the Joint Negotiating Forum at local level.
4. Human Resources Directorates in each participating organisation will develop action plans to address areas identified for improvement or development. The survey findings will also be used to inform Pay Review Bodies.
5. All organisations in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland were given the opportunity to participate in the survey. The majority of respondents completed a paper questionnaire; however some smaller organisations, whose staff had access to email, completed an online version of the questionnaire. The participating Trusts and organisations are listed below:
Belfast HSC Trust (BHSCT)
Northern HSC Trust (NHSCT)
Western HSC Trust (WHSCT)
Southern HSC Trust (SHSCT)
South Eastern HSC Trust (SEHSCT)
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HSC Trust (NIAS)
Business Services Organisation (BSO)
HSC Board (HSCB)
Patient and Client Council (PCC)
Public Health Agency (PHA)
Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (BTS)
Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council (NIPEC)
Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) (Online survey)
Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Authority (NIMDTA) (Online survey)
Northern Ireland Guardian Ad Litem Agency (NIGALA) (Online survey)
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) (Online survey)
6. The complete survey can be found online.
7. For further information, please contact the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0074. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
