NHS Employers responds to the results of 2025 NHS Staff Survey

Responding to the results of the NHS Staff Survey, Dean Royles, Interim Chief Executive at NHS Employers, said:  

“NHS leaders will have mixed feelings about the latest staff survey results overall which show that most indicators have remained similar to last year at a time when services were under massive pressure. Staff and managers across the health service were managing an early flu season, reducing a waiting list backlog and continuing to deliver care while also, at times, contending with industrial action by resident doctors. Sustaining these scores into 2025 therefore reflects the hard work and commitment of NHS staff and their managers.

“It is also positive to see that staff continue to note that they are experiencing compassionate leadership and increasing support from their line managers. However, it is worrying that some indicators have worsened in areas such as raising concerns and staff willingness to recommend the NHS as a place to work and to receive care. The views of staff on these indicators really matter.

“It is of course distressing to see that staff continue to personally experience discrimination from patients and other members of the public. It is completely unacceptable that staff in the NHS continue to be subjected to racism at work. Sadly, these findings reflect the wider rise in racial hostility faced by communities over the past year. While we pride ourselves on having an ethnically diverse workforce drawn from across the UK and around the world, it is a mark of shame that incidents of racism increased at a time when the NHS is striving to be better employers.

“It is also worrying to see that levels of unwanted sexual behaviour rose from the public despite a slight fall in incidents from staff. Every NHS Trust has now signed up to the NHS sexual safety charter and is implementing the actions it details.

“Levels of violence from the public have also worsened. Preventing and reducing violence is one of the areas to be included in the new Staff Standards framework to be introduced later this year as set out in the government’s Ten-Year Health Plan. NHS Employers has been working with health service unions, employers and the government to develop this framework to help ensure all staff have a good experience at work.

“Despite enormous amounts of work to improve the experience of staff, NHS leaders know that more needs to be done and have continued to roll out work programmes to support employers in key areas including health and wellbeing, flexible working and discrimination. The new Staff Standards framework should play a crucial role in making this happen by setting consistent, mandatory expectations, ensuring that all NHS staff benefit from the same high quality working conditions wherever they work.”