Case Study: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust builds conflict competence with NHS Employers

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - Customer Case Study

The customer, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, faced significant challenges with workplace conflict, which impacted staff motivation, absenteeism, and patient care. To address this, the trust worked with NHS Employers to implement a multi-faceted 'culture of resolution' strategy, which heavily featured an internal workplace mediation service.

The solution delivered by NHS Employers included a data-led approach to identify stress 'hotspots', a robust mediation service staffed by trained volunteers, and specialized training for managers in difficult conversations and conflict coaching. This strategic initiative by NHS Employers yielded substantial results, including a 90% mediation agreement rate, staff recommendation rates 13% above the national average, and the best score for an acute trust on staff harassment, bullying, or abuse.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust