Public Servant Lifestyle

Research records 11,700 under-fives nursery places for children of NHS staff across England.

The results of the latest NHS Childcare Survey indicate that the NHS across England makes a real commitment to looking after its staff, as well as patients.

The survey - carried out for the Department Of Health by the Healthcare Information Centre for the Department - reports that 97% of staff surveyed have access to a childcare co-ordinator and 11,700 nursery places for children under five years are provided for NHS staff.

Other key findings include:

More than half (56%) of the organisations surveyed provide nursery places for their staff. Of these, over three quarters (76%) subsidise their nursery places in some way;

69% of the nurseries open for 11 hours, or more, on weekdays;

Two-thirds (66%) of organisations give staff the opportunity to purchase childcare vouchers, allowing staff to save on tax and national insurance contributions.

"The results of the NHS Childcare Survey are very reassuring and demonstrate the importance the NHS places on supporting staff," says Health Minister Lord Warner. "The investment we've made in on-site nurseries is really paying off.

"Nearly all NHS organisations who responded to the survey provide access to a childcare co-ordinator, showing that they recognise the need to help staff balance work and home responsibilities.

NHS Childcare Strategy

"The NHS Childcare Strategy is firmly embedded into the NHS. Organisations are providing their staff with a range of support, including access to nursery places and holiday play schemes, subsidies for the cost of childcare and access to childcare vouchers.

"The Daycare Trust said, recently, that the NHS has provided more childcare support to its staff than any other employer in the UK, but it is important that we maintain and build on our existing service.

"Good childcare provision is a big draw for people thinking about returning to or joining the NHS. If we are to recruit and retain our staff, then we need to offer them not only good pay, but also support for flexible, family-friendly working, such as help with childcare."

Lorraine Brown, family and childcare coordinator for West Sussex, based at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester says: "High quality, accessible childcare facilities make a radical difference to staff making decisions on whether to return to work, having either taken a career break or returning from maternity leave.

"Onsite childcare facilities and family-friendly policies give parents the opportunity to be more flexible with their work-life balance. Having access to high quality childcare onsite gives parents peace of mind which can only have a positive impact on patient care."

NHS Employers deputy director Alastair Henderson says: "A lot of good work has been done to give NHS staff access to good quality childcare. The NHS is already one of the best employers in the UK in terms of providing childcare support to its staff. It's not just people with children who benefit; coordinators can also help people with other carer responsibilities.

NHS Employers

"However, we recognise that we need to help and encourage NHS organisations to improve childcare provision even further so that all staff can benefit.

"NHS Employers will be working to achieve this by highlighting the importance of childcare among NHS organisations as part of good recruitment and retention practice and by supporting childcare coordinators through networks and by sharing good practice."

The NHS Childcare Strategy was launched as part of the NHS Plan in July 2000. £70m was set aside to build 150 on-site nurseries and for all NHS staff to have access to a childcare co-ordinator.

On top of this, the Government committed the £100m savings from Shifting the Balance of Power to extending the childcare strategy, to ensure that the childcare needs of all staff are met, including other forms of childcare for pre-school children and for older children, and to upgrade and subsidise existing NHS nurseries.

Since April 2004, responsibility for childcare has been devolved to the NHS. Responsibility for ensuring parents working in the NHS are supported appropriately now sits with the SHAs (Strategic Health Authorities)and PCTs (Primary Care Trusts) working in partnership to respond to the needs of NHS staff, including GPs and their staff, supported by NHS Employers, which, in November 2004, took over responsibility for implementing childcare strategies.

More information available in Work Life Balance, Family & Personal