CQC encourages NHS staff to provide feedback

Published: 7 October 2009 Page last updated: 12 May 2022

7 October 2009

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is encouraging NHS employees to provide feedback on their experiences at work by participating in the seventh annual NHS Staff Survey.

More than 300,000 staff in 392 trusts will be asked to participate and the Commission encourages staff in all sectors and roles in the NHS, to take the opportunity to give their views. CQC, NHS Trusts and the Department of Health will use the information gathered to inform local and national changes in working conditions to not only help staff feel valued, but ultimately improve the quality of care for patients.

The Department of Health published the NHS Next Stage Review in 2008 and the NHS Constitution in January this year, and both bring a renewed focus to the NHS as an employer. The Constitution sets out for the first time what the NHS expects from its staff and what staff can expect from the NHS. It is part of the commitment of the NHS to being a good employer and helping staff feel valued.

The 2009 questionnaire is largely similar to that used in previous years and will allow Trusts to track progress over time, with additional questions on staff engagement and health and well being.

Nancy Wolstenholme, Head of Digital Communications and Surveys at the Care Quality Commission, said: "The annual staff survey is a vital tool in our efforts to improve the NHS for both patients and staff. Staff experiences and their working environment naturally affect organisational outcomes – and in the NHS this includes the quality of care patients receive. Results from the survey are used by trusts to deliver improvements in working conditions and practices. I hope that NHS staff will take this opportunity to help to shape their future.”

CQC will report on the findings of the survey, including national trends, early next year. The Commission will also use the survey data in its registration and assessment activities for NHS trusts.

More information on NHS staff surveys is also available at: nhsstaffsurveys.com (opens new window)

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For more information please contact the Press Office on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232143.

Notes to editors

About the CQC: Snippet for press releases

About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.


We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.


We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.

About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.

We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.