Work related stress on the rise at Lancashire hospitals

The results are part of a staff survey at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust and they were revealed at the trust’s latest board meeting.

The figures show that staff satisfaction within the trust – which runs the Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital – has improved compared with last year, and is high compared with other hospitals.

But board papers explain: “It is acknowledged that there has again been improvement in the overall results year on year, but as previously, further improvements can still be made.”

It added: “Also highlighted as worse than average the number of staff that had felt they had suffered work related stress and less people were reporting errors, near misses and incidents. Staff stress at work has increased by three per cent in the last 12 months and LTH has also scored worse than the national average by 2 per cent, with 39 per cent of staff reporting stress.”

“The only other highlighted below average area is in relation to equality and diversity wherein staff felt that they had not received equality and diversity training. Equality and diversity training is included with the annual mandatory training programme which over 70 per cent of staff have attended in year.”

Karen Swindley, Workforce and Education Director of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are very pleased with our staff survey results, which show staff satisfaction has significantly improved this year, and compares favourably with the national average.

“In the coming year we will be building on these achievements, and looking at what else can do to improve staff satisfaction. We have introduced flexible working to enable staff to better manage worklife balance and personal commitments and we believe this will have a positive impact on morale and stress.”