Staff Wellbeing Insights
Real data from thousands of NHS primary care staff, revealing what's working and where practices need support.
What's working well
Areas where primary care staff report strong, positive experiences
Where attention is needed
Key areas where staff experiences highlight room for improvement
Financial wellbeing
Only 59% of staff feel content with their financial situation. 1 in 5 actively disagree — the single highest area of dissatisfaction.
Highest risk areaStaffing levels
Only two-thirds feel there are appropriate staffing levels and skill mix. 14.6% disagree — a direct CQC “Safe” domain risk.
14.6% disagreeManagement support
Managers recognising good work (71.8%), listening to feedback (71.3%) and valuing ideas (70%) all sit below the 75% threshold.
11.6% disagree overallMental health openness
Nearly 3 in 10 staff don't feel able to speak openly about mental health, or aren't aware of wellbeing resources at work.
10.6% disagree“SAMPLE QUESTION: I would recommend my practice as a great place to work”
The headline engagement metric — tracked across three financial years
We asked every staff member whether they would recommend their practice as a great place to work. In the first two years the figure held steady at around 80%, meaning four out of every five staff members were happy to recommend where they work.
In the latest year (FY 2025/26) that dropped to 73.7% — a fall of almost 7 percentage points. While nearly three quarters of staff still feel positive, the decline signals that something has changed and is worth looking into, whether that is workload, morale, leadership, or resources. The drop may also reflect a rise in what is often described as “quiet disengagement”. Staff are still turning up, doing their roles and not expressing overt dissatisfaction, but feeling less connected, less motivated and less inclined to go beyond the basics.
While subtle, this change matters. It can affect team morale, discretionary effort and overall resilience over time, making it an important early signal for leaders to pay attention to.