Staff engagement needs to be improved at Dorset County Hospital – according to its chief executive.

Patricia Miller told a meeting of hospital governors in Dorchester that although employment surveys were positive and front line staff had responded well with the winter flu vaccine programme with more than 80 per cent getting the jab, a record figure, there was still room for better engagement.

“We still have a few points to address…there is still not enough staff who feel they are able to raise concerns and there is not enough who feel they are engaged in the development of their services. So we do need to do more.”

She was congratulated by governors on her recent selection to the NHS Assembly, which drives future developments in the NHS nationally. She admitted that her application form had been started, abandoned, and then finally completed with just hours to go.

“It was worse than a job application running to about ten pages, but I’m now looking forward to see what the assembly can do to get the right objectives for the NHS,” she said.