The results from the 2025 NHS Staff Survey (NSS) have been published.
Conducted every year since 2003, the NSS is one of the largest workforce surveys in the world.
It asks staff across England about their experience working in the NHS. Employers and national stakeholders can then use this information.
Trusts must take part, with 1.5 million employees invited to participate between September and November 2025.
Most people completed the survey online, with 95 per cent of respondents using this method. The number of staff filling in a paper copy has decreased by 14 per cent this year.
Since 2021, the questions have been aligned with the NHS People Promise. The People Promise is We are compassionate and inclusive; We are recognised and rewarded; We each have a voice that counts; We are safe and healthy; We are always learning; We work flexibly; and We are a team.
87.78 per cent of respondents said they feel their role makes a difference. This is a similar result to last year. Meanwhile, 71.78 per cent said that care of patients / service users is their organisation's top priority - down from 74.37 per cent - and 69.18 per cent said that their organisation acts on concerns raised by
patients / services users - down from 70.90 per cent last year.
58.05 per cent of people said they would recommend their organisation as a place to work. This is a decrease from 60.79 per cent in 2024.
Only 62.84 per cent of those asked said that if a friend or relative needed treatment, they would be happy with the standard of care provided by their organisation. This is down from 64.26 per cent last year.
Only 31.14 per cent of staff are satisfied with their level of pay.
70.25 per cent of respondents said their immediate manager works together with them to come to an understanding of problems; 72.65 per cent reported that their immediate manager is interested in listening to them when they describe challenges they face and 71.28 per cent agree that their immediate manager cares about their concerns. These figures are all broadly similar to last year.
70.13 per cent of people said that the people they work with are understanding and kind to one another and 71.23 per cent said their colleagues are polite and treat each other with respect.
9.26 per cent of NHS staff questions reported personally experiencing
discrimination at work in the last 12 months from patients / service users, their relatives or other members of the public and 8.77 per cent reported experiencing it from managers, team leaders or colleagues. Only 53.74 per cent said they feel their organisation acts fairly with regard to career progression or promotion. All these results are similar to last year.
14.47 per cent of respondents said that they have experienced at least one incident of physical violence in the last 12 months from patients / service users, their relatives or other members of the public; 0.75 per cent form managers and 1.89 per cent from other colleagues. 25.25 per cent of staff said they have experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from patients / service users, their relatives or other members of the public; 9.11 per cent from managers and 17.01 per cent from other colleagues. The numbers have remained steady since last year.
9.07 per cent of people said they had been on the receiving end of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace in the last 12 months from patients / service users, their relatives or other members of the public and 3.51 per cent said they had received it from staff.
The ‘We each have a voice that counts’ score is at a five-year low. 48.63 per cent of staff said they are involved in deciding on changes introduced that affect their work area / team /department (down from 50.12 per cent) and 54.16 per cent feel able to make improvements happen in their area of work. 60.29 per cent of staff feel say to speak up about anything that concerns them (down from 61.83 per cent) and 47.59 per cent are confident that their organisation would address their concern (down from 49.51 per cent).
42.36 per cent of staff felt unwell as a result of work-related stress in
the last 12 months and 56.01 per cent have gone into work in the last three months despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties.
56.06 per cent of staff said they have adequate materials, supplies and equipment to do their work, down from 58.01 per cent last year, and only 32.82 per cent said there are enough staff at their organisation for them to do their job properly, down from 33.98 per cent.
35.05 per cent said they find their work emotionally exhausting, 31.47 per cent said they feel burnt out because of their work and 36.51 per cent said their work frustrated them.
