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Forty-eight per cent of workers at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust - which governs the Royal Bolton Hospital - surveyed said they did not have adequate materials, supplies and equipment to do their work . This was one of the findings from the results of the annual NHS Staff Survey for 2024 for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust after thousands of staff shared their experiences. The annual survey is one of the largest workforce surveys in the world and is carried out every year to improve staff experiences across the NHS.
In 2024, almost half of all staff at Bolton took the time to have their say about experiences at work. Staff members were asked to express how they feel towards various topics at work, with questions covering a wide range of topics including, morale, staff engagement and working as a team. The NHS Staff Survey results for 2024 have been published for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust after thousands of staff shared their experiences.
(Image: Martini Archive) This year, the total response rate for the survey was higher than in 2023, with 48 per cent of staff at Bolton taking part, with a total of 532,587 completed questionnaires submitted. Positive findings included 72% feel enthusiastic about their job 75% say their immediate manager values their work However, the results also highlighted areas that are in need of improvement. A total of 59 per cent would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation for a friend or relative – slightly down from last year’s figures.
And just 52 per cent of respondents said they have adequate materials, supplies and equipment to do their work. Staff were also asked about experiencing discrimination within the trust, this included ethnic background and long-term health conditions. Results will guide what action is taken next to make Bolton a great place to work for everyone.
(Image: Martini Archive) A total of 51 per cent which equates to 352 respondents claimed that they have faced ‘discrimination based on ethnic background’. On average, colleagues from an ethnic background were almost five per cent more likely to experience ‘harassment, abuse or bullying’ from patients in the past twelve months at 28.27 per cent as opposed to white colleagues at 23.
21 per cent on average. Additional responses also revealed: On average, 29.37 per cent of responding staff members with a long-term condition or illness felt as though they had experienced bullying and harassment from patients or the public in the last twelve months compared with 22.
71 per cent who did have not these. READ MORE: NHS Workers' Day 2025 celebrates diversity in healthcare Former Bolton A&E nurse to retire from NHS after 35 years Bolton mum's plea over 'catastrophic' BBL procedures - In a positive increase from the 2023 survey 75.43 per cent felt listened to by their immediate manager when describing the challenges they face.
This is compared with a 70.95 per cent benchmark average across 122 NHS organisations. The annual survey is one of the largest workforce surveys in the world and is carried out every year to improve staff experiences across the NHS.
(Image: Martini Archive) - Bolton NHS FT scored higher than the benchmark average when it came to being compassionate, inclusive, diverse and recognising the achievements of staff members. - Morale among staff members in 2024 had also increased from previous years, scoring 6.03 on the 1-10 scale.
- 62 per cent of staff members felt safe to speak up about anything that concerns them. When surveyed about feeling ‘safe to raise concerns’ there was a slight increase from 2023 to 6.49 per cent.
Dr Niruban Ratnarajah, Chair at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to everyone who took the time out of their busy workdays to tell us what it’s like to work for Bolton and we will be using these results to guide what action we take next. “The improvements made in the past twelve months hasn’t happened by accident and is a reflection of the work taking place right in teams across the organisation. “It’s no surprise that the sense of teamwork we see and feel in Bolton everyday has been reflected in some of the feedback, which is helpful to understand what’s making a difference.
The respondents shared their thoughts on working at the NHS. (Image: Martini Archive) “Our results confirm to us that we still have more to do to make sure we’re the best we can possibly be, and we’ll be doing further work to understand what steps we can take in the coming weeks and months.” Bolton NHS Foundation Trust says its ambition is to become an organisation where every single person has a good experience, and the results show improvements have been made in all of the NHS People Promise areas: - 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 -We are a team A full review of the Trust’s 2024 results is underway, and actions will be developed to address them at every level across the organisation.
In October 2023, the Trust launched the ‘Our Voice Change Programme’, designed to make sure the organisation is making the changes that matter the most to staff, from working environments to digital systems and equipment. The team has been meeting regularly for more than a year to help drive improvements, which include: - Improving digital education through ‘Digital TipTok’ user guide videos. - Launching ‘Our Leaders’, a leadership programme for managers and aspiring managers.
- Increasing staff recognition through internal award schemes..
