Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a long-term strategy to improve the welfare, wellbeing and morale of NHS staff is currently in development.

The hard work and dedication of National Health Service staff is appreciated, and ensuring their welfare, wellbeing and morale are at high levels is essential. While employers across the NHS are responsible for their staff welfare, wellbeing and morale, the Government supports employers to do this by funding high quality development and training for all leaders, with a view to driving positive, open and supportive organisational cultures. Staff morale will be measured in the NHS Staff Survey from 2018 for the first time.

It is anticipated that issues of staff welfare, wellbeing and morale will be reflected in the long term plan the NHS is currently developing.

We have introduced a new contract for NHS staff on Agenda for Change pay, terms and conditions which will provide a pay increase of at least 6.5% over the next three years, continue to support the NHS in implementing the 2016 contract for doctors in training and are working with the British Medical Association to ensure other medical contracts are fit for purpose and affordable.

We are also tackling bullying and harassment through the Ministerially chaired national Social Partnership Forum’s ‘Collective Call to Action’ and working with the royal colleges and health unions to reflect kindness and respect in recruitment and subsequent staff training and development; tackling violence against and abuse of NHS staff via the NHS Violence Reduction Strategy which has been drawn up by NHS Improvement and NHS England and announced by Secretary of State on 31 October.

We are improving staff opportunities for flexible working through better use of technology such as apps, e-rostering and e-job planning which will help trusts make best use of their permanent and temporary staff resources so they can do more to support staff who ask for flexible working.

We are improving staff physical and mental health and wellbeing through NHS Improvement’s collaborative of 73 trusts which is developing 10 high impact actions to spread across the NHS including quicker access to accredited occupational health services. NHS England’s NHS staff health and wellbeing framework offers trusts diagnostic and intervention options to help them provide services staff need locally and their 2017/19 Commissioning for Quality and Innovation incentive programme encourages trusts to provide services to improve staff health and wellbeing. Health Education England’s commission on the mental wellbeing of NHS staff and learners announced in their draft Health and Care Workforce Strategy for England to 2027, Facing the Facts, Shaping the Future, is due to publish its final report next month. This will make recommendations for change and highlight good practice that could be adopted more widely.