A QUARTER of Swansea Bay University Health Board staff who responded to a survey said they faced abuse, harassment or bullying from patients, their relatives or members of the public.
The figure of 25% for 2024 was nearly 10% higher than the previous year, a health board report said.
And 24% of those that responded said they’d experienced abuse, harassment or bullying from health board colleagues in the preceding 12 months – up nearly 5% on year before. A total of 19% said they’d faced abuse, harassment or bullying from their line manager – a rise of nearly 3%.
The annual survey, held over two months, is deployed by all Wales’ health boards, Public Health Wales and the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust.
There were some positive findings for the Swansea Bay region, which covers Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. Employees cited supportive teams, job satisfaction and colleagues wanting to go above beyond to ensure the well-being of patients.
Introducing the survey findings at a health board meeting Tina Ricketts, director of workforce and organisational development, said the low response rate by Swansea Bay staff was “quite disappointing”. Just under 13% of the health board’s 15,601 employees filled in the survey, nearly 6% fewer than the previous year and considerably less than the 21.9% Welsh average.
Feedback about the low response rate has indicated that staff lacked confidence that anything would change as a result, while concerns were also voiced about the confidentiality of individual responses.
The survey findings in many respects mirrored the wider experience of NHS Wales staff. For example 56.7% of Swansea Bay staff said they’d recommend the health board as a place to work, hardly any different from the 56.4% Welsh average. And 65.1% said they were enthusiastic about the job, a smidgeon fewer than the 65.7% country-wide average.
Ms Ricketts said the survey, combined with other workforce data, had informed three priority improvement areas around leadership and management, being able to speak up and raise concerns safely, and values and behaviours. A report before the board said it took a zero-tolerance approach to any bullying, harassment or abuse.
Independent board member Nuria Zolle said she found the percentages around abuse, harassment or bullying from the survey really worrying, and welcomed the focus on improved leadership.
Fellow independent board member Reena Owen said she felt it was important to tell staff what was going to change as a result of the previous year’s survey in order to address the perception that nothing would change.
