Speaking during a podcast with former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell, Sir Jim Mackey, Interim Chief Executive of NHS England and Chief Executive of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, spoke of the need for the NHS to return to simple values, such as respect and treating people well, in its future workforce plans.
He was asked about whether suggestions, reported in national media, that Trusts would face fines for not providing good working conditions and facilities, as part of a package of measures for resident doctors, gave cause for optimism that an end to this long-standing dispute might be in sight. He deflected the question and used it instead as an opportunity to widen the discussion to include the needs of all staff.
“Without workforce you’re in trouble,” he said. “We want all of our workforce to love being in the NHS and to love working for the NHS.”
Tolerance
Jim Mackey pointed out that it isn’t just resident doctors who have been “tolerating” issues relating to working conditions for a long time, but the rest of the workforce too. Many of these are related to the environment and facilities, such as the food provision, car parking and the condition of buildings. “It’s about being treated right, having a sense of belonging and feeling respected by your organisation, by your colleagues, by the community.” These, he said, are “strong values” that the NHS needs to return to.
Whilst the focus of attention is, rightly, on elevating the patient experience, Jim Mackey wants to see a similar direction of travel for the NHS in terms of elevating the staff experience.
Resetting the deal
In returning to an NHS that looks after its workforce properly, however, there is also an expectation that staff perform well, to decent standards and consistently, and that everyone is productive in what they do.
“It’s going to be a bit of a reset of a deal,” he confirmed.
