STAFF at the trust which runs the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, say they are trusted to do their jobs and feel their work makes a difference to patients, a new survey revealed.

Employees at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) took part in the NHS National Staff Survey, which saw them answer 85 questions about working for trusts across the country during the autumn.

Of those who took part at HHFT 92.7 per cent of staff reported that they feel trusted to do their job, while 90.7 per cent feel that their role makes a difference to patients.

Elsewhere, 81.3 per cent of staff said that they think care of patients is the organisation’s top priority, well above the national average of 77.4 per cent, while an increased number of staff said that they would recommend the trust as a place to work than had been the case a year earlier.

Catherine Hope-MacLellan, director of people, said: “I would like to sincerely thank everyone who took part in this survey, the aim of which is to find out the ways in which the trust can help staff perform at their best.

“I am delighted that out of 85 possible areas, we improved in over 80 per cent, a result that everyone at Hampshire Hospitals can be proud of. It is very important that every member of the team has the very best programmes and support available so that they can not only deliver fantastic results but enjoy coming into work.

“The results of this survey help the executive team to identity areas of possible concern, as well as leading to policy changes and investment decisions.”

As a result of the 2018 survey, a number of changes were made over the course of 2019, including the launch of a new online training platform, the introduction of an updated appraisal process and a full review of staff parking provision across the trust was carried out, with staff given the chance to have their say.