West Suffolk Hospital staff rate it as one of the best places in the country to work and receive treatment

Staff at West Suffolk Hospital and its trust’s community services have rated it as one of the best places in the country to work and receive treatment.

It follows a recent NHS Staff Friends and Family Test, which 1,254 West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) staff responded to.

Ninety two per cent said they would recommend the trust as a place to receive treatment – the seventh highest percentage recorded in England.

Seventy nine per cent said they would recommend it as a place to work – the 10th highest in England.

They are both above the national averages of 81 and 66 per cent respectively.

Dr Steve Dunn, chief executive of WSFT, said: “We encourage our staff to let us know how well we’re doing on the ground, so to have their backing that they are happy to recommend the trust they work in for both care and a place to work is fantastic.

“There’s no greater testament to a health organisation than to be entrusted with the care of staff themselves and their loved ones, as they are often part of the local community.

“My own family use our services, and I’m in agreement with my colleagues – it’s a great place to receive care. Carried out between January to March, this was one of the busiest times our trust has ever experienced.

“Maintaining such high scores in what was a challenging quarter is a real achievement.

“As always, I thank our staff for their continued dedication to our patients.”

The trust recently launched a trust-wide recruitment campaign, titled #BeKnown, which tells the stories of staff, what they’re known for and why they like working at the trust.

Jan Bloomfield, director of workforce and communications at WSFT, added: “Big or small, everyone makes a contribution.

“I think this is reflected in our latest FFT results; we’re an inclusive, friendly trust that aims to support our staff to be the best they can be. Being highly rated when compared to the NHS as a whole is something we will continue to strive for.”

The NHS Staff Friends and Family Test was introduced by NHS England to help improve patient experience and is carried out in all NHS trusts.