Research consultancy, ORC International has been appointed as the independent provider to conduct an annual survey of Western Australian health system staff.
The first of five annual surveys will be open from March 5 to 29, 2019.
The survey will measure staff engagement and support proactive strategies for future workplace planning. The initiative will enable staff to better communicate what works well, identify issues in the workplace and ensure their health and wellbeing is looked after.
The survey will be confidential and provide staff the opportunity to freely express their opinions and share their experiences. The survey will help identify areas of need and ensure Health Service Providers are able to respond to and address any emerging issues.
ORC International will conduct an online survey engaging all Health Service Providers and Department of Health staff for a period of up to five years. The initial survey results will provide a benchmark from which the performance of Health Service Providers can be tracked.
ORC International is legally bound to ensure confidentiality for all survey respondents - meaning individual responses cannot be identified.
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"Staff are the WA health system's most important asset and I hope every one of them will take the opportunity to make a contribution to this important initiative.
"This survey ensures employees can have a say about their workplace and help make their workplace and the WA health system a better place to work.
"Most importantly, I'd like to see the survey identify what works well and what can be improved.
"All staff have the right to feel valued and to work in a supportive environment. These surveys will help ensure we are on track to enable a culture that nurtures our most important asset.
"The McGowan Government takes the issue of staff morale seriously. We will continue to focus on how we can ensure the people who we rely on every day to keep Western Australians healthy, are in fact happy and healthy themselves.
"Successful staff engagement not only improves the workplace experience, it will also enhance the care we provide."
