The reviews were commissioned by the Board of Directors as part of our ongoing commitment to openness, learning and continuous improvement.
- The Well-Led Review examined leadership effectiveness, governance arrangements and assurance processes
- The Independent Culture Review provided colleagues with another confidential opportunity to share their experiences of working at DBTH, including what is working well and where improvement is needed.
Together, the reviews offer a qualitative snapshot of our organisation at a particular point in time.
Methodology
The reviews were designed to provide a comprehensive and independent assessment of DBTH. The methodology included:
- Over 20 confidential interviews with senior leaders, including Board members and system partners.
- An invitation to all 7,400 colleagues to take part, with 304 short-form survey responses and 465 detailed feedback submissions received (approximately 10% of Team DBTH). Colleagues could opt to complete both surveys.
- Onsite engagement with more than 150 individuals across three sites over seven days.
- Listening groups with 67 individuals.
- A detailed desktop review of documentation and triangulation between the parallel well-led review and DBTH Way in Action.
What the reviews tell us
The findings highlight a number of strengths, including:
- Strong commitment to patient care and professionalism across services.
- Positive team-level relationships and supportive local leadership in many areas.
- Constructive challenge and engagement within formal governance forums.
They also identify areas where we need to improve, including:
- Consistency of experience across teams and sites.
- Visibility, connection and communication at Trust level.
- Confidence that behaviours and standards are applied consistently.
- The impact of operational pressures and infrastructure challenges on daily working life.
Understanding the context
It is important to recognise that these reviews represent one source of insight. The feedback provided is qualitative in nature and reflects the experiences of those who chose to take part.
This does not diminish the importance of the issues raised. However, it does mean the findings need to be understood alongside other workforce information, including:
- Wider Staff Survey results.
- Ongoing engagement and listening activity.
- Formal Speak Up, HR and wellbeing data.
Taken together, this broader evidence base helps us build a more complete and balanced understanding of where we are as an organisation.
Our response
We accept the findings and recommendations of both reviews in full. Work is already underway to address the themes raised, including:
- Strengthening leadership visibility and engagement.
- Clarifying expectations around behaviour and standards.
- Improving communication and feedback loops.
- Enhancing governance, assurance and accountability.
Progress against these actions will be monitored through our governance structures and informed by ongoing colleague engagement.
Mark Bailey, Interim Chair of the Board at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: “We commissioned the independent review to provide another safe and confidential place for colleagues to share their experiences openly. The findings highlight where we need to do more, while also recognising clear strengths, including the pride, teamwork and commitment shown by many colleagues in supporting and delivering patient care.
“We welcome the reports and accept the recommendations in full. Much of this builds on work that is already underway or planned, and the review helps sharpen our focus on where further action is needed.
“We will bring this together through a clear and transparent action plan, shaped by continued engagement with colleagues and comprehensive insights from the NHS Staff Survey later this year, which gathered the views of almost 4,000 colleagues, so people feel valued, supported and respected.”
Thank you to colleagues
We are grateful to all colleagues who took the time to contribute to these reviews. Sharing honest feedback – especially where it highlights challenges – takes courage and is essential to building a stronger, more compassionate organisation.
Listening to feedback is not a one-off exercise. We remain committed to learning, improving and supporting our people as we continue to deliver safe, high-quality care for our communities.
The full reports can be accessed below:
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