NHS Rainbow Badges launched at CWP

Ambulance service recommended as a good place to workforce by staff

FIGURES released from the NHS Staff Survey 2019 show a year on year increase in staff recommending North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) as a good place to workforce. Employing over 6,000 staff up and down the region from Crewe to Carlisle, the trust has focused heavily on health and wellbeing initiatives to support its workforce including signing the:- 'Blue Light - Time to Change' pledge to support mental wellbeing. Dedicated web pages have been set up give staff information and advice on staying happy, fit and healthy including podcasts, training and development opportunities as well as money saving discounts. The survey also found improvements in immediate managers and senior managers involving NWAS staff in important decisions, as well as giving clear them feedback on their workforce. Reviewing the feedback in comparison to other trusts in the ambulance sector, NWAS scored higher than average in terms of morale, quality of appraisals, quality of care and staff engagement. Nationally, results show that NHS staff say they are now happier and more likely to recommend their organisation as a place to workforce than 2019.

Lisa Ward, Interim Director of Organisational Development said:- "We are really pleased with the results from this year's NHS Staff Survey which has highlighted some really positive improvements. Our amazing staff are what makes this organisation so special and their views are really important to us. We have also placed great emphasis on supporting and raising awareness of the Freedom to Speak Up NHS whistleblowing Policy and a zero tolerance to violence which has been reflected in the results. It is also important that we use the results to highlight opportunities to learn and improve and although none of our results saw a significant negative change, the findings will now be used to support key improvement goals."

The survey findings will now be used as part of a new cultural improvement project alongside staff focus groups and individual interviews to collate information on how staff feel in order to make a significant difference.  Responses were collected from 2,774 NWAS staff members who completed the survey.

80% NHS flu target met in Lancashire and South Cumbria

4 out of 5 frontline healthcare staff in Lancashire and South Cumbria have been vaccinated against the flu this winter as part of a national campaign to protect patients, services and local communities. Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust said it has prioritised providing the vaccinations to front line staff in a bid to protect patients and their staff.  The Trust has smashed the 80% target set nationally, with a record number of 3505 frontline staff vaccinated this year. The campaign was launched in October and runs until the end of March, which has already beat the nationwide NHS target of 80%. It still isn't too late to get your flu jab. People can visit their local pharmacy or GP surgery to vaccinate themselves against the disease. Maria Nelligan, Director of Nursing and Quality at the Trust, said:- "I'm delighted that we reached the target with 81 per cent of staff vaccinated this year, which is an increase of 4 per cent from winter 2018/19. Getting vaccinated against the flu virus not only protects our staff, but also their family, friends and most importantly, patients. This achievement is all down to the hard workforce of our vaccinators supported and lead by our Infection Prevention and Control Team. The team have gone above and beyond, visiting wards and teams during the week and out of hours to offer the flu jab to our staff."