In response to growing issues of poor care, in 2011 six leading nursing figures developed the Culture of Care Barometer, initially piloted at three trusts. It is based on a series of questions directed to members of staff and aimed at forming an understanding of the culture of care in an organisation.
Its performance has now been reviewed by a recent report, which praises the barometer for being a useful addition to existing tools, such as the NHS Staff Survey and the Friends and Family test, and mentions a "strong appetite for using the barometer" in trusts.
The barometer has been conceived to "kick start conversations about culture within organisations", says Professor Anne Marie Rafferty, lead author of the report. It helps the staff feeling valued, encouraging them to raise concerns while keeping them informed.
The positive results of this report suggest a possible implementation of the barometer across the NHS in the future.
Find out more about Macmillan's work to improve patient and staff experience by going to our Values Based Standard course