MORE than half of Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust staff have said they attended work in the last three months of 2017 despite feeling unwell because they felt pressure from their manager, colleagues or themselves.

That is according to the latest National NHS Staff Survey, published this month.

Over a third of staff surveyed at the Trust, which oversees, Fairfield General Hospital, reported feeling unwell due to work related stress in the past 12 months, as 71 per cent reported working extra hours.

Fifteen per cent of staff reported experiencing physical violence from patients, relatives or the public in the past 12 months, and three per cent say they experienced physical violence from other staff.

Twenty seven per cent of staff reported experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives, or the public in the past 12 months — down from 30 per cent in 2016.

And twenty eight per cent say they experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from staff, which was up on the 2016 figure.

The Trust did, however, show several signs of improvement according to the survey, including increases in job satisfaction, staff motivation and satisfaction with opportunities for flexible working patterns, and in figures for staff recommending the Trust as a place to work or receive care.

Over 3000 staff members across the Trust took part in the survey — the largest work force survey in the UK, conducted every year since 2003.

This year 309 NHS organisations took part in the survey providing detailed feedback.

Steve Taylor, Chief Officer for Fairfield General Hospital, said: “Our Staff Survey this year shows some encouraging signs of improvement at The Trust, a fact we also know to be true given the outstanding CQC inspection result we received last week, where the overall rating for Fairfield General Hospital improved from Requires Improvement to Good with a rating of Outstanding for Medical & Older People Services.

“We are particularly pleased the Staff Survey shows our workforce is more engaged now than last year, as there is a proven link between staff engagement and better patient experience and outcomes.

“The number of staff who would recommend our organisation to friends and family as a place to work, and the amount of staff that would recommend and be happy with the standard of care being provided to their friend or relative, both also increased significantly on last year, which is a fantastic achievement.

"There is still work to be done, but on the whole we are happy with the findings of the Staff Survey and the evidence that our workforce is now happier and more content in their jobs.”

The full survey can be viewed at http://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/Caches/Files/NHS_staff_survey_2017_RW6_full.pdf