Author: Colin Hodgson, Director for Public Sector, Reward Gateway|Edenred
The NHS People Plan and the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan make it clear that the connection between engagement, wellbeing and performance has never more critical.
When people feel valued, supported and connected to purpose, they deliver better outcomes for patients, colleagues and the system as a whole.
Despite this understanding, our latest research at Reward Gateway|Edenred confirms that engagement remains under severe pressure across much of the healthcare workforce. Deliberate action will be required to resolve the situation.
What our Research Found
Our study, Public Sector Engagement: A Reality Check, surveyed more than 1,100 UK public sector employees, including hundreds working across health and social care. The findings reveal a workforce that remains deeply committed to its mission but is increasingly strained by workload, burnout and limited recognition.
While the vast majority of health workers (83%) report feeling engaged with their work, only one in five say they feel engaged with their organisation. Too often, engagement initiatives fail to connect, and feedback mechanisms such as staff surveys are seen as exercises in compliance rather than catalysts for change.
The result is a trust gap between employees and leadership that risks people leaving the sector.
Why This Matters Now
This is not just a workforce issue, it’s a system resilience issue. Retention and recruitment depend on employees who feel that their contribution is recognised, that wellbeing support is meaningful and that leadership listens and acts.
Another important finding from our research is that appreciation is not a luxury. Nine out of ten (92%) public sector employees say recognition is important, and 77% believe appreciation directly improves their performance.
The overriding message is the need to shift engagement from a periodic activity to a core operational strategy that aligns recognition, wellbeing, benefits and communication into a single, outcomes-focused framework.
An Evidence-based Framework for Healthcare HR Leaders
From our research and work across the public sector, we see four actions that can help Trusts strengthen connection and performance across their workforce:
- Recognition that feels real
Meaningful, values-based recognition remains the most powerful and affordable driver of morale and retention. Everyday appreciation, whether from peers or leaders reinforces purpose and connection even in pressured environments. Recognition that links to clinical or service outcomes also strengthens organisational culture and trust. - Wellbeing as performance infrastructure
The NHS People Promise states, “We are safe and healthy.” This must go beyond compliance to become a cultural foundation. Evidence shows that psychological safety, workload balance and recovery time directly correlate with patient outcomes. Embedding emotional, physical and financial wellbeing into benefits makes it a genuine performance enabler, not a policy statement. - Benefits that meet real needs
Healthcare workforces are diverse, spanning clinical, administrative and support staff with different personal and financial pressures. Tailoring benefits and financial wellbeing support to these groups reduces stress and improves retention. Simple, accessible tools, such as salary sacrifice and retail discount schemes can deliver tangible help amid cost-of-living pressures. - Engagement built on trust and dialogue
Listening is essential, but acting is transformative. Healthcare employees tell us that engagement surveys fail to lead to visible change. HR teams that close the feedback loop, showing how staff input informs policy and practice, rebuild trust and strengthen the credibility of leadership.From insight to impactThe NHS Long Term Workforce Plan rightly focuses on recruitment, training and retention. None of these goals can be achieved without a foundation of engagement.
At Reward Gateway|Edenred, we help healthcare organisations put this understanding into practice by integrating recognition, wellbeing and reward into a single digital experience that reaches every employee.
Our message is that even amid fiscal constraint and operational pressure, it’s still possible to drive better engagement. By combining better listening, targeted recognition and practical wellbeing and cost of living support, HR leaders can strengthen connection, boost resilience and ensure that those who care for others feel better cared for themselves.
Access our research….HPMA webinar coming soon!
If you’d like to read our research report in full, you can access it on our website
We are also hosting a webinar for HPMA members on this topic in January next year, so watch this space!
