New NHS staff standards hold employers accountable, says BMA

Getty/alice-photo

By Daniel Pye

A new set of NHS staff standards published by the government marks an “important shift” in how employers are held accountable, the British Medical Association has said.

NHS staff, employers and leaders in secondary care are now subject to standards that focus on line-management, health and wellbeing, violence prevention and reduction, sexual safety, tackling racism and flexible working.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it worked closely with employers and trade unions and should be used alongside existing workforce policies locally.

The areas were chosen based on what the government said it heard matters most to staff.

The standards state: “Progress has been uneven across the NHS” and “staff experience still varies widely, and good practice is not consistently implemented in all organisations.”

Unlike previous initiatives, the staff standards will be compulsory and how well each provider meets the six standards will be measured.

Employers meeting the standards will be given greater freedom from NHS England, while those facing more challenges will receive additional support, the document states.