Public Servant Lifestyle

A new report reveals that the NHS childcare support for staff working in south east London is greatly helping staff retention and saving the NHS millions of pounds.

The South East London NHS Workforce Development Confederation commissioned the national charity 4Children to look at the impact of the NHS childcare strategy on staff retention and recruitment, and improving working lives in South East London.

The South East London NHS childcare strategy has delivered over 350 new childcare places so far. The users of this new childcare support and a wider range of NHS staff were surveyed by 4Children, to examine the impact of this childcare support on their lives. 217 responses to the survey were received, including 113 from NHS staff who were using the new childcare support developed with NHS childcare strategy funding.

The survey reveals:-

• 87% found the support had helped them continue to work for the NHS;

• 88% revealed it had improved staff morale;

• 95% found it had helped reduce stress;

• 96% confirmed it had enhanced the image of NHS as a good employer;

• 87.5% indicated that childcare information for NHS staff had improved;

• 86% found the support very useful.

The survey had a particularly high response from staff working at King’s College Hospital Trust. The Trust created 60 new nursery places last year for staff at the Mapother House nursery in London, with NHS childcare funding, to add to the 90 places already provided. 93% of staff using the new places said that this had helped them to continue to work for the NHS.

Ian Fleming, Strategic Childcare Co-ordinator at the South East London Workforce Development Confederation said, “The report underlines the value of childcare support both to parents and to NHS organisations. It shows that investing in childcare not only improves the working lives of staff, but also saves money”.

More information available in Work Life Balance