Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust Survey

Almost two in three workers at a hospital in Cornwall say they believe their employer does not have the care of patients as its priority.

Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, which runs Treliske Hospital, surveyed 2,250 of the staff there. The trust board was told that the research had produced a detailed snapshot of the views of the hospital's workers, which made for "uncomfortable" reading.

Although the survey was carried out in October last year, its results have only been published now. They show that the trust's performance is below-average in 11 areas.

Only 13% of staff say they are able to communicate with their senior managers and just 21% say they believe their employer values the work that they do. Around one in 10 workers at the hospital claim to have been violently attacked by patients.

And just 38% of staff said they thought the trust had as its priority the care of patients, which is 20% below the national average.

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Julie Lewis, a lawyer from law firm Irwin Mitchell's Bristol office said: "News of this research is extremely concerning. Cornish patients confidence in their local hospital trust, and their belief that their wellbeing is its priority is essential and it is a worry that only 38% of the trust's own staff believe that to be the case. We would urge the local trust to consider these results and address any issues urgently."