NHS pay review body: twenty-sixth report 2012 - Official Documents

Our Comment
5.34 From the evidence we received for this report it is clear that morale and motivation
across the NHS workforce is threatened by a variety of factors. These factors are largely
driven, on the one hand, by local pressures stemming from budgetary constraints,
service reconfigurations, rising workload, vacancy freezes, and job security; and on
the other hand, from national developments such as the NHS reforms in England, the
four Governments’ public sector pay policies, and proposed changes to public sector
pensions.
5.35 We note that the NHS Staff Survey provided by the Department of Health provided a
more positive conclusion on staff morale and motivation but these views were sought
between September and December 2010. In contrast, the Staff Side attached a high
priority to maintaining morale and motivation and highlighted worrying trends in
individual union surveys regarding their decline in the NHS workforce. They could
present significant challenges to employers in meeting demand for quality services and
delivering on the wide-ranging change agenda, plus they could threaten longer term
recruitment and retention.
5.36 In this respect, we consider staff engagement by employers to be an essential component
of maintaining staff morale and motivation. The importance of engagement was raised
several times when we met AfC staff during our 2011 visits. We observed some good
examples of management practice which engaged staff to make effective changes. We
encourage employers to give priority to staff engagement on a range of current issues
so that staff can see that their contribution is valued thereby improving morale and
motivation.
Workforce Planning
4 5.37 We commented in our Twenty-Fifth Report that it was important that wider NHS reforms
were not allowed to fragment the way in which information on workforce requirements
was gathered at a local level leading to imbalances between supply and demand. The
parties provided further information on this issue.
Information from the Parties
The Health Departments
5.38 The Department of Health told us that, under the reforms for England, the UK
Government’s vision was for a provider-led workforce planning, education and
training system in which the professions would have a leading role and would work
with employers to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach. Following consultation on its
proposals, the Department commented that the new framework would see healthcare
providers, with their clinical leadership, taking a lead role in planning and developing
their workforce.
5.39 The Department considered the new system would: provide security of supply;
be responsive to patient need and changing service models; deliver continuous
improvement in the quality of education and training; and ensure value for money.
The Department added that effective workforce planning was key to delivering the
right workforce to deliver the UK Government’s vision. It considered that information
and analysis from the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) would support NHS
organisations in their workforce planning and assist them in taking a long range
approach to improving skills and resources.
4 NHSPRB (2011) Twenty-Fifth Report, TSO (Cm 8029), paragraph 5.27.
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