Healthcare Commission 2008 NHS staff survey 

The recently published Healthcare Commission 2008 NHS staff survey has revealed some of the following findings for the ambulance sector:

• Ambulance staff (27%) are more likely to say they had experienced physical violence from patients however ambulance staff are still less likely to report having training to deal with aggressive patients.
• Ambulance staff are also less likely than other NHS staff to be satisfied with their job, less likely to say managers act on feedback from staff and more likely to feel that teams do not work effectively. The HCC has said that the poorer work experiences reported by ambulance staff needs to be explored further.
• On a more positive note ambulance staff are still proud of the service, 67% are satisfied with the level of care they can provide and 90% feel they make a difference for patients.

The Commission recognises the distinct work environment of ambulance staff and that the recent reorganisation across ambulance services will have put extra pressures on staff and management. Read Care Quality Commission website for more information.