Published on: 7 March 2024

Employees at Derbyshire Healthcare have responded to the latest annual survey about the Trust in larger numbers than ever before – and have given the Trust some of the best results in its history.

62% of the Trust's 4,000 employees – the highest-ever percentage – took part in the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, an anonymous, independently-run survey which covers all NHS organisations in England. The feedback from the survey participants about the Trust was above average across all seven main areas of the survey and, in the crucial question of whether they would recommend the Trust as a place to work, 72% said yes – a figure that is 4% higher than the previous year and places the Trust eighth in the country amongst NHS organisations providing similar services.

68% also said they would be happy with the standard of care provided by the Trust if a friend or relative needed treatment, an improvement of 1.5% compared with 2022.

View a visual summary of the Trust's 2023 staff survey results.

"A great position"

Mark Powell, Chief Executive of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: 

“I am really proud of this year's NHS Staff Survey results and the progress that has been reflected in the feedback we have received from colleagues.  We can see an improvement in each area the survey measures, including two important questions where we have seen an increase in the number of colleagues who recommend the Trust both as a place to work and receive care.  

“The feedback received from colleagues is really positive and places the Trust in a great position in comparison to many trusts nationally.  It reflects a lot about what is so special about Derbyshire Healthcare, our values and how we work together as one big team.”

About the survey

The NHS Staff Survey is run by polling company Picker on behalf of NHS England each autumn, and is sent out to all NHS employees on substantive contracts. The questions in the 2023 Staff Survey were aligned to the NHS People Promise which has seven domains: ‘we are compassionate and inclusive’, ‘we are recognised and rewarded’, ‘we each have a voice that counts’, ‘we are safe and healthy’, ‘we are always learning’, ‘we work flexibly’ and ‘we are a team’.

Areas of particular improvement for Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust compared to last year included staff engagement, overall staff morale, feeling safe and healthy when at work, feeling the Trust is compassionate and inclusive, colleagues having a voice that counts, valuing ongoing learning, supporting people to work flexibly and recognising and rewarding staff.

Areas highlighted as in need of further improvement by the survey included effective team working, the feedback colleagues receive following incidents, and the number of high-quality appraisals. There was also an increase in the number of colleagues who have experienced discrimination at work from either colleagues, patients, carers or members of the public, which the Trust has made a commitment to investigate and address.

View the Trust's full set of survey results on the NHS Staff Survey website.