Work together, get results has been a key theme for Pathology teams who have acted on what they heard from colleagues in the 2024 NHS Staff Survey. The last survey showed a dip in colleague engagement, though the feedback about people has been consistently high, the team wanted to look more into the results to improve the experience of colleagues.

Consultant Microbiologist and Pathology Clinical Director, Anu Rajgopal, said: “Looking at the Staff Survey results gives us some great insight into how our colleagues across Pathology are feeling day-to-day, and gives us an opportunity to look at how we can best support one another through our One Culture of Care.

“We have a huge programme of work happening at the moment where we are working with Mid Yorkshire Hospitals and Leeds Hospitals to collaborate in delivering our pathology services across the region through the New Pathology Partnership (NPP). It’s a positive step but we need to recognise that it brings uncertainty and challenges for our colleagues, which were reflected in our latest results.”

Specific things the team have done, include:

• An engagement plan in place with colleagues in Microbiology specific to the NPP which include regular drop in sessions
• Monthly internal NPP board meetings which involve a broad range of colleagues
• Improved information on the intranet to act as a hub of information for colleagues about the NPP
• Adding NPP as a standing agenda item in weekly huddles with service leads.

Outside of the NPP the team have also updated some of their processes to better support workflow in the team and address high colleague turnover. This includes:

• Engagement and communications in Microbiology on compliance with specimen labelling to reduce the time spent booking in specimens
• Work together, get results sessions in Phlebotomy, led by the Workforce and Organisational Development team, focusing on team dynamic. The success of this session means further sessions are being planned to other areas.
• Engagement with Biochemistry, Transfusion and Haematology colleagues to address concerns. This included some quick wins which have been well received by colleagues, including, staff support overnight, review of OOHs work to limit to ‘essential’ work only, and timely sign off on competencies to enable new colleagues to join on-call.
• Looking at skill mixing within teams, for example the Phlebotomy and Specimen reception.
• Monthly Pathology directorate meetings with the Executive Team to progress, escalate, mitigate and get support around any concerns.

Anu added: “I am proud of the way we have taken our previous results and improved people’s experiences at work. I’ll be championing all our colleagues in the pathology team in the Autumn to fill out this year’s survey so we can continue to make things better.”

The NHS Staff Survey is a yearly anonymous survey to all colleagues across the NHS to get your feedback about how it feels at work.