In healthcare, particularly within the NHS in the UK, staff retention can remain a challenge and often having an impact on the quality of patient care, operational efficiency, and the well-being of healthcare workers.
Understanding these challenges, our innovative approach at Health Spaces helps NHS Trusts who are designing new healthcare spaces, or refurbishing existing hospital spaces, to create and deliver a healthcare environment that delivers exceptional patient and staff experience.
Specialising in transforming healthcare environments, Health Spaces works closely with the NHS to create hospital builds and wards that facilitate optimal patient care and foster a supportive and enriching workplace for clinical staff.
This article explores the multifaceted issues surrounding staff retention in the NHS, shedding light on how improved healthcare environments, as championed by Health Spaces, can play a critical role in helping to tackle these challenges.
Current issues with staff retention in the NHS
The NHS has seen a significant staff turnover rate, often attributed to key factors such as work-related stress, understaffing and working environment. Our recent article, The Green Prescription, highlighted the impact that space can have on the morale and physical health of healthcare workers, which can in turn also impact patient care.
The importance of staff welfare
Healthcare workers who perceive their workplace as supportive, safe, and conducive to their well-being are significantly more inclined to stay. Research has shown that this is particularly true in the high-pressure environment of the NHS, where the emotional and physical toll of healthcare work demands a concerted effort to promote psychological support and physical well-being.
Solutions for improving staff retention
Many NHS Trusts are able to offer innovative staffing solutions that offer flexibility, work-life balance, and comprehensive career development and progression initiatives. In the high-pressure healthcare environment, providing dedicated staff welfare spaces in hospitals has been recognised as integral to promoting the well-being and retention of NHS staff. These specialised areas serve as sanctuaries where clinicians and healthcare workers can momentarily step away from the demands of their roles to rest, recharge, and nourish themselves in a space designed with their needs in mind.
At Conquest Hospital, for example, Health Spaces designed and delivered a dedicated staff welfare healthcare space for the emergency department nursing team. Designed with bright colours and maximising the use of natural light, the staff welfare space was furnished with comfy seating and dedicated kitchen break-out area. The space was delivered to the hospital using Modern Methods of Construction in the form of pre-constructed modular builds. Whilst the new hospital build did not feel or look like a modular build, it provided a dedicated – and deliberately separate – space away from the live hospital operations.
Ensuring proper rest and nutrition for healthcare workers
The eating facilities are at the core of these welfare centres, thoughtfully equipped with comfortable seating and readily available refreshments. Such spaces offer a tranquil environment where staff can enjoy their meals away from the clinical setting, allowing for relaxation and undisturbed reflection. The availability of hygienic food preparation areas further underscores the importance of health and well-being, providing staff with the resources to maintain their nutritional health.
The case study of Conquest Hospital provides a tangible illustration of the profound impact that well-designed staff welfare centres can have. This project demonstrated how thoughtful design and investment in staff facilities can significantly enhance the working environment for healthcare professionals.
In our design of the new Concept Ward for James Paget University Hospital, we also worked with clinicians to create a dedicated space for staff – including kitchen and education room, and dedicated therapy garden, providing separate access for staff to enjoy away from patients.
By prioritising staff needs through creating a dedicated garden space, the Concept Ward set a benchmark for supporting staff well-being.
The role of Health Spaces in improving staff retention
Supporting staff retention in the NHS demands a holistic and nuanced approach. Improving retention must encompass immediate staffing concerns and long-term investments in staff welfare and the physical workplace environment.
Specialists in healthcare design and delivery, Health Spaces works closely with NHS Trusts to develop strategic enhancements to hospital infrastructure that can directly benefit staff retention and welfare. Offering innovative design and construction solutions we can support healthcare professionals and pave the way for better staff experiences and ultimately better patient care.
