Number of NHS doctors quitting could be reduced by 1 thing – and it’s not higher pay | UK | News
As junior doctors embark on a new strike, findings from a recent survey suggest staff retention problems are not primarily due to pay or working conditions. Instead, the findings show that what matters most is the quality of people. The UK has fewer doctors and nurses per capita than many of its international counterparts, with 10% of positions vacant. This results in greater demand, lower job satisfaction and staff burnout. A. new research The research, co-authored by Bayes Business School and the Department of Economics at City St George’s, University of London, found that improving NHS managers can reduce employees’ intentions to leave.
The study analyzed results from five NHS staff surveys conducted between 2018 and 2022, with a sample of nearly 400,000 NHS staff across more than 120 hospital trusts. The survey looked at the satisfaction of doctors, nurses, managers and others, including feedback about management, resources and welfare.
The findings show that people with above-average line manager quality are 27% less likely to consider leaving the organization. Line manager quality was measured by looking at whether managers were encouraging, forthright, consultative, concerned with their well-being, and valued employees’ work.
The strongest reason for this is that employees are appreciated for the work they do, then they feel valued and are consulted by managers in decision-making processes.
The study concluded that the importance of manager quality is a more important determinant of staff retention than how employees perceive the quality of their work; even if pay is removed as a factor.
Dr Victoria Serra-Sastre said: “Our findings suggest that NHS hospital trusts need to invest more in the training, development and selection of managers who have the practical knowledge to manage both people and operations successfully.
“To target and implement programmes, NHS performance assessments may include executive quality scores, which will focus on trusts that require additional support. Developing future leaders from within can provide a long-term, cost-effective solution to NHS staff turnover and shortages that threaten to derail healthcare in this country.”
