NHS Chief Emphasizes Retention of Younger Staff

A leader within the NHS states that the health service must “encourage and motivate” its younger employees to stop early departures. Hannah Coffey, who serves as chief executive of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, notes that over 50% of the NHS workforce is currently comprised of individuals who are millennial-age or younger, encompassing those in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s. Ms Coffey informed BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, “They just have a very different outlook on life, for understandable reasons.” This trust, responsible for operating Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke, and Stamford and Rutland hospitals, oversees the acute care for approximately 850,000 individuals and has 7,400 staff members. Ms Coffey commented that future generations “actually get a bad press” but called upon NHS leaders to “really genuinely understand what motivates the workforce of the future.” She pointed out that medical students incur training costs amounting to tens of thousands of pounds, yet many depart during their second year of practice, with comparable trends observed in nursing training. She stated, “That says something about not just the NHS, but things that we need to do to encourage and motivate the generation of the future.” Ms Coffey, who assumed her current position last year, expressed her desire to foster an environment where employees feel heard, noting that younger staff members typically do not hesitate to voice their opinions. She remarked, “Our younger staff have no problem telling me what they think about the organisation.” She added, “I spend a lot of time out and about and they tell me, and that’s great.” She mentioned that Christmas frequently represents the “most challenging” period of the year for staff, but also noted the existence of numerous positive developments. A new treatment facility is scheduled to open at Stamford and Rutland in the spring, alongside the construction of two wards at Peterborough City Hospital. Plans are in place for a new hospital at Hinchingbrooke by 2030, given that the current structure exhibits structural problems linked to concrete panels utilized in parts of its walls and roof. Ms Coffey commented, “It’s very exciting.” She continued, “Building a new hospital is a real responsibility – it’s not just an asset for the health service, but an asset for the whole community.” For news from the East of England, follow on X, Instagram, and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire, or BBC Suffolk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.