Improving Employee Motivation and Retention in NHS

MCL-ADVANCE PROFESS* DECISION MAKING
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Description of the organizational problem......................................................................................4
Root causes of the problem and proposed solutions........................................................................7
Potential Challenges of implementing the solutions.....................................................................18
Conclusions....................................................................................................................................20
Reference List................................................................................................................................21
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Introduction
Within Health care organizations, competent and motivated workforce is essential for adequate
health service management. According to Kerzner and Kerzner (2017), currently, lack of HR
facilities has been noted as one of the main reasons of employee dissatisfaction. Structured
human resource system within health care settings is responsible for well functioning and
motivated workers. As per several observations by health care professionals, it is noticed that
current efforts to motivate primary health care employees, mainly in the public sector is largely
concerned about increasing incentives of the employees. Ginter et al., (2018) have identified that
strategies and measures for improving performance level are important to reduce the lack of
motivation within the present workforce in health care organizations. On the other hand, while
the strategies are required to identify key causes associated to the above topic (Decreasing
motivational level of workforce), low payment and expenditure-income disparity as well as
organizational determinants are also necessary and deserve to be researched in greater detail
using specific organizational context (NHS) (Islam and Islam, 2015). From the above
discussion, it could be drawn that human resources are the most significant asset for any health
system for strengthening their organizational profitability and performance level. To be more
precise, according to Turner (2017) HRH (Human Resource for Health) process could be defined
as the combination of varied types of clinical and non-clinical staff who are bound to the public
as well as individual health intervention.
Recently, several researches on this area have unfolded the fact there has been a global shortage
of employees, which is calculated to be near about 2.3 million Physicians, nurses, midwives and
almost over 4 million employees overall among which, United Kingdom has a significant
position (Health.go.ke, 2018). Statistically important relationship has been established between
health care employees’ density and the burden of disease, mentioned in DALYs (Disability
Adjusted Life Years). According to Purcell (2014), it is observed that based on a review
conducted by a series of focus groups activities with NHS workers, reflects that while this is
difficult to measure how people feel regarding their work, there is a much to inform that
motivation and value of the NHS workforce are comparatively low. It recognizes three core
elements that influence motivation and morale of the workforce within NHS. These three
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elements regarding decreasing employee motivation and morale within NHS are, whether
employees feel valued within their working environment, payment and resources. Pope (2015)
has depicts that effective employee morale as well as motivation would be critical to attaining
Government’s ambitious policies for modernising the NHS as well as reflects there is evidence to
suggest that healthy self-confidence and motivation have very positive influences on patient care
and results.
In addition to the above context regarding organizational problem, Government’s commitment
for elevating and modernising NHS needs to be mentioned. This project has extended to
significant extra investment. It pledges almost £19.4 billion in order to develop NHS services
(Kingsfund.org.uk, 2018). This governmental initiative has concerned to boost NHS capacity to
offer care by employing an extra 20,000 nurses, around 7,500 consultants as well as 2,000 GPs,
and near about 6,500 therapists (Humphries et al., 2016). Apart from this fact, this assignment is
structured to discuss the organizational problem regarding work-related motivation and retention
of primary level employees in NHS. Initially, this essay would be exploring a description of the
problem along with a definition of the concept of underlined work related stress. The second part
of this essay, would be exploring root causes of the highlighted problems of work-related stress
in Health care organizations, here within NHS. Post that, recommendations along with potential
solutions for each root-cause would be identified in this essay. Possible difficulties and
challenges with application of the given solutions would be discussed and conclusions would be
evaluated at the end. Briefly, the overall objective of this essay is to explore and evaluate
individual and organizational determinants of motivation and retention among workers within a
health care setting using instances from NHS.
Description of the organizational problem
As analyzed in the above section of this essay, organizational authorities of NHS are confronting
various problems that are jointly addressing to the fact that employee motivational levels are
decreasing day by day. Professionals within this health care organization, is currently facing
essential challenges in overcoming health care worker (HCW) shortages as well as low health
care worker retention (Chehade et al., 2016). On the other hand, challenges in achieving
equitable distribution of human resources for health within this organization is another serious
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problem that is contributing to the main issue regarding low motivational level and employee
retention within NHS. Detail description of this organizational problem is given below,
Rapid changes within organization and too much governmental as well as political control over
organizational activities are de-motivating. These factors are among the causes that people
specifically health care workers cite for wanting to leave NHS. The working environment in
which employees work for instance, levels of staffing, as well as the degree, speed of reform
influence motivation and morale. Hasty changes as highlighted above along with increased
political control are harmful for self-confidence level of employees (Kingsfund.org.uk, 2018).
According to Minns (2015), various researches and observations about the work practices of
NHS are not adequate to enhance or retain employee engagement within different roles to the
fullest. In recent years, NHS employees have felt uncertain of their value and significance within
workplace environment as observed by Banfield et al. (2018). Employees of this company are
also suffering from lack of unity in the workplace. One among four employees believes that NHS
does not value or appreciate their staff and rest of them feel that their individual capabilities are
undervalued. The National Health Service Task force on employee involvement has suggested
the fact that “Employers in the NHS who involve staff in decisions, planning and policy-making
… have a happier, healthier, better motivated workforce and reduce staff turnover”
(Kingsfund.org.uk, 2018). On the other hand, job satisfaction is connected directly with
motivation and morale as well as employees’ intentions to leave their jobs. Nature of the job and
thus related responsibilities, whether there are opportunities for professional or individual
capability development and what other employment prospects are available all influence job
satisfaction.
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Another key point related to motivation level and morale of employees is the payment structure.
The organizational management in NHS should concern regarding what are the current reward
systems, how they impact personal motivation and morale of staff. Employee dissatisfaction
related payment has been well recognized by several researchers. According to many medical
managers, GPs and doctors, it has been proved that resource problems have an impact on
motivation level of employees. As per the observations of Elston and Dixon (2017), the
organizational authority of NHS should be more concerned about the amount and intensity of
resources for the service as a whole than payment of each employee. Observations in this field
have suggested the fact that inadequate pay is more or less affecting the motivational as well as
productivity of employees within NHS. While some employees within this organization felt
valued for their jobs, there was consensus among the researchers and observers that entire health
service workforce did not feel valued at all. To be more precise, employees were in fact more
likely to experience pride by patients they served than by their colleagues or organizational
management.
Apart from the determinants related to motivational level of employees within NHS discussed in
the above section, lack of proper human resources could be stated as one of the important points
that affect motivational level of the employees. Human resource management within health care
organizations need to address few facts that directly relate to the motivational as well as
psychological level of the employees (Kingsfund.org.uk, 2018). Human resource management
should provide proper training and development to their employees so that they could be able to
engage in their tasks effectively. Except from the training and development, the human resource
management within NHS should care about the psychological aspects of their employees.
Employees sometimes suffer from low self-esteem problems. In this problem, employees tend to
believe that they are not skilful of succeeding any difficult task. This problem may lead to
delayed deadlines and responsibilities. In patient care and health care organizations delay of
deadlines and duties may lead to serious circumstances. In this regard, human resource
management of NHS should provide personal responsibilities that are reflective to overcome this
kind of problems. Often in health and social care organizations stress becomes one of the serious
matter in de-motivating employees and workloads could decrease confidence level of workers.
Responsibility of human resource team is to provide training to the employees in developing
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