When excellent staff experience is achieved, staff become inspired to be the best people they can be at work which in turn delivers the best patient care. To achieve excellent staff experience employers must create an environment where staff can succeed, feel valued, supported, and encouraged.

Retention of staff is a key issue for the NHS and is a crucial consideration to securing a skilled and sustainable workforce for the future. In addressing the challenge of workforce supply, organisations must focus not only on recruitment but also ensure new and existing staff are supported and encouraged to remain in the NHS.

The NHS People Plan sets out a key ambition to have more people, working differently in a compassionate and inclusive culture in the NHS. Retaining staff is one of the most important factors in ensuring the NHS can deliver quality patient care in the forthcoming years.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan also places a key focus on retention, setting out how the service will address workforce challenges by recruiting and retaining more staff and improving the experience of both staff and patients.

Leaders and line managers have a vital role to play in this retention challenge, with a responsibility to ensure both new and existing staff are supported and encouraged to remain and thrive in the NHS.

NHS Employers have some useful resources and guidance for supporting retention for the workforce: Retention | NHS Employers