Addenbrooke’s bosses ‘pushing for high-cost supplement’ for staff

David Wherrett, the director of workforce at the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the high cost of living in Cambridge was a “real issue” for staff. 

Mr Wherrett said he was “particularly worried” about recruiting and keeping staff in lower paid roles, who he said were “exceptionally important” to the hospitals. 

The trust, which runs Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge, has previously highlighted the issue it faces recruiting and retaining staff due to high costs of living in the city. 

At a meeting of the trust’s board of directors this week (May 10), the trust set out some of the actions it has taken to try and help staff, including funding for a travel programme, and lower cost hot food being made available in the hospitals. 

Mr Wherrett said these measures were “good investments”, but that the issue of pay and costs was still impacting staff. 

He said: “We know that pay and recognition are important. I was talking to one apprentice who said they had just finished their apprenticeship and loved every second of it, and were going to become a registered nurse with the trust. 

“However, they said if they were working in Sheffield or Birmingham they would be thinking about buying a house, but in Cambridge they might at a push get their own studio flat to rent, but would probably have to stay living with their parents. 

“That is a real issue and I continue to push hard for a high-cost supplement here.” 

The meeting was also presented with the results of the annual staff survey which showed that fewer staff would recommend the trust as a place to work.  

The report said 61.7 per cent of staff would recommend the trust as a place to work now, compared to 67.1 per cent the year before and 73.7 per cent the year before that. 

Mr Wherrett said the survey had also shown that staff in minority groups had a “less positive” experience working at the trust. 

He added that disabled staff were also reporting a worse experience through the survey, despite plans he said had been put in place by the trust to try and improve things. 

Mr Wherrett said the trust was going to focus on listening to staff and to “deep dive” into finding out from staff what the trust is not getting right for them. 

He said: “Overall it is a position which is a marked change from previous years, we have gone from being above average to being average in the experience of our staff. 

“We are doing well around flexibility of work, learning, progression, and the compassionate culture was referred to. 

“There are things to celebrate, but there is also a considerable amount of jeopardy.” 

Mr Wherrett said the trust would also keep “driving hard” at improving resourcing as he said having fully staffed shifts, staff being able to leave on time, and able to join education, would help “unlock” a lot of the concerns. 

Roland Sinker, the chief executive at the trust, said: “The key point here is we are really trying to understand what our staff are telling us. 

“We are doing all we can to make staff feel safe and well, and supported, but that sits alongside the vacancy rate pressures, high volumes of care providing, and cost living pressures. 

“So we are really trying to understand what staff are telling us and the next period we will be doing some focused listening. It is quite a complex and mixed picture.”