Staff morale has topped the list of concerns raised by NHS finance directors in The King’s Fund’s latest quarterly monitoring report. Nearly half (47%) of Trust finance directors surveyed for the report identified staff morale as one of their top three concern –twice as many as in the previous quarter. The report suggests this should be a significant cause for concern given the close link between staff engagement and quality of care.
The report also underlines the financial pressures facing the NHS, with nearly 40% of Trust finance directors forecasting a deficit by the end of 2014, the highest proportion since the survey began. Worryingly, nearly 60% are also concerned about whether their Trust will be able to meet its cost improvement target for the current year, suggesting that it is getting more difficult to find efficiency savings.
The report also highlights the impact of mounting pressures on NHS performance, with waiting time targets for A&E, hospital treatment for inpatients and cancer treatment all missed across the quarter (July-September). Despite a reported £930 million of additional Government funding to improve hospital waiting times and ease pressures in A&E, this points to a challenging winter.
Richard Murray, director of policy at The King’s Fund said: “The NHS relies on the dedication of its staff, so the growing concern about staff morale is worrying. Given the close association between staff engagement and quality of care, this is a warning sign that should be taken seriously by NHS leaders. The number of Trusts forecasting deficits indicates that financial problems are no longer confined to a small number of organisations and are now endemic.”
