Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employee Reviews

This was my first job post qualification, I enjoyed the training available here, they have their own academy and preceptorship programme and I found the training really good and information available. Support from the clinical educators also brilliant.

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Official response from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

28 March 2023

Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience. We are delighted to hear your positive feedback on your time working with us. We wish you all the best in your future career.

Loved it

Assistant practitioner (Former Employee) - Gwh swindon - 10 June 2023

I loved the work, the place the people best job ever The work is fast the team are awesome and you meet some amazing peopleCareer progression is avaliable

Pros

The team

Cons

Parking

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Insights into Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Based on 18 survey responses

What people like

Feeling of personal appreciation
Support from manager
Clear sense of purpose

Areas for improvement

Fair pay for job

Don’t work here unless you want bad mental health

HCA/Support Worker (Former Employee) - Swindon - 1 May 2023

Worst place to work ever. You work to your maximum ability with unrealistic expectations and too high of a workload that it is impossible to complete everything in one shift, management then moan because everything’s not done even though you’ve worked to your full potential trying to get everything done. Then management make you feel like you’re terrible at your job and you go home and feel bad that you couldn’t do everything. So little staff for so many patients, it’s unsafe for patients as they can’t receive proper care with such little staff. On your feet for 12 hours 45 minute break, but manager moan if you sit down for a few minutes to have a sip of water. Working enhanced care is a joke, it’s meant to be one-to-one care, but because of so little staff it ends up being one-to-four which is impossible and unsafe when four people with falls risks are getting out of bed at the same time. Not to mention the little support from management when you mention how heavy and impossible the workload is and how you’re so stressed out, they just seem to laugh like your joking or just say ‘ok’ and do nothing about it. Management will also put you on shifts outside your availability and get annoyed when you say you can’t work those days because it’s the availability you put down when you started.

Pros

Good opportunities for development

Cons

Long hours with little break, not safe staffing levels, little support from management

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Very friendly place to work

Staff Nurse (Current Employee) - Swindon, Wiltshire - 18 March 2023

I have worked in various departments within the Hospital and in my opinion this is a fabulous place to work. I have been very happy here. Very friendly environment. Very supportive colleagues. Commitment to high standards throughout the Hospital.

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GWH have the senior team

Training and Development Coordinator (Current Employee) - Swindon - 29 December 2022

The senior leadership team is fabulous, approachable, kind, humble human beings. The government however has damaged the NHS and squeezed it and ground it into the ground. It is run on good will, vocational staff and hard work. I is not GWH failure but that of the government. Made life long friends.

Pros

Fabulous team

Cons

Short staffed

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Great supportive place to work, highly recommend GWH

Administrator (Current Employee) - Swindon, Wiltshire - 15 December 2022

My time working at the Trust has been very positive. I'm always supported by my team and manager to progress and develop. I've experienced first-hand the efforts taken by senior management towards inclusion and diversity, something that is taken very seriously. Working for the NHS is always going to be busy and on tight on budget, however this is something I knew going into the position. It's incredibly rewarding to be working together towards shared goal of providing high quality care and making a real difference. I genuinely feel like a valued member of the GWH family.I'd recommend GWH as a place of work for anyone looking for a supportive workplace, those who are looking for a new challenge and to progress with the encouragement from a friendly team.

Pros

Flexible working, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Progression opportunities

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Official response from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

10 March 2023

Thank you for your review. We're pleased to hear you've had such a positive experience and we hope you continue a long and fulfilling career with us.

Hated working here

Occupational Therapist (Former Employee) - Swindon - 4 November 2022

This was my first ever job and as someone who was newly qualified I had my confidence and self esteem completely ruined! My supervisor was a nasty piece of work. I am so glad I left this place! On a positive note this whole experience shaped how I manage and support others, it has helped me to see exactly who I don’t want to be and has support me to encourage positive working relationships with others.

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Official response from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

10 March 2023

Thank you for leaving a review. We’re sorry to hear that you had a negative experience working with us. Our goal is always to provide a transparent, friendly, and supportive working environment, so we’re disappointed that we didn’t meet your expectations. If you’d like to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to contact us at gwh.comms@nhs.net.

Gwh

Surgery, Women & Children's Admin (Former Employee) - Swindon - 30 August 2022

No trust to do your job. bullied by management team.make you work above your banding without the pay. Always talk about making change but never see it happening.Talk about health and Wellbeing, but they don't look after their own staff

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Official response from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

10 March 2023

Thank you for leaving your review. We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t have a good experience with us. We place great importance on the health and wellbeing of our colleagues and providing a safe, friendly, and supportive working environment for all. If you’d like to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to contact us at gwh.comms@nhs.net.

Worst place that I have ever worked!

Safeguarding & Clinical Governance Administrator (Former Employee) - Swindon - 26 July 2022

I have been working in the NHS for over 20 years and I can honestly say this organisation is the worst I have experienced! No management support, stuck in an office alone with no support and when working in the same office as my manager she was in back to back meetings with no time for you, just empty promises, having very little management skills. In fact you were supposed to know everything because I had had such a varied career in the NHS!

Pros

The salary was ok and the holiday entitlement is the only redeeming feature!

Cons

No management skills

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Wonderful place to work and staff were lovely to work with.

Senior Medical Secretary (Former Employee) - Cardiology Department - 11 July 2022

I am a retired Secretary now but miss it terribly. I worked at GWH for 23 years and loved every minute of it. Days were pleasant and colleagues were so good to work with.

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Jobs at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Senior HealthCare Support Worker

Staff Nurse - Newly Qualified Summer 2024

Swindon

18 days ago

Senior HealthCare Support Worker

good place to work made lots of friends mangers are good and always helpful

Physiotherapy Assistant (Former Employee) - Swindon - 6 March 2022

good place to work and very much enjoyed working there lots of help when starting out and find your best fit for your role there in the hospital was sad to leave only left when moved house

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Great teamwork

Health Care Assistant (Current Employee) - Swindon, Wiltshire - 12 February 2022

Very fast paced environment, a lot of staff shortage due to covid which can put a lot of extra stress on staff. Good work and home life balance. Nights and day shifts available. Can sometimes choose your shifts, or easily swap with other members of staff , generous annual leave entitlement, good enhancements for unsociable hours such as night shifts and weekends. Can joking the bank and work in other departments if the hospital etc

Pros

Great team free parking

Cons

Long hours

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Staff are lovely but the workload is too much

Materials Management Officer (Former Employee) - Swindon - 12 January 2022

Working in the NHS is great but unfortunantley management aren't switchced on to staff issues and retention enough and the Money isnt there especially as the workload begins to increase.

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Okay

Health Care Assistant (Current Employee) - Swindon - 8 January 2022

Okay job line managers good hard to get flexible working.Patients demanding and rude.Canteen expensive Often don’t finish on timeToo small for area

Pros

Free parking at the moment

Cons

Underpaid

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A good place to work. People are mostly nice. Big learning curve.

Clerical and Reception work - Outpatients (Former Employee) - Swindon - 8 August 2021

A typical day in the Out Patients Clinic was a busy and stressfulday. We had to book in the patients, attend to queries on phone as well as in person

Pros

We got some discounts for the gym.

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Wonderful place to work!

Volunteer (Current Employee) - Swindon - 12 August 2020

A typical day at work for me is to do a tea trolley round, morning and afternoon. This allows all of the other staff to do their main work. I've learnt a lot on the ward/department I'm in and it's brought my colours out from within myself. Hardest part of the job is hearing someone you have worked with has died for me personally.

Pros

Working within a team, caring, ambitious and lovely challenges

Cons

N/a

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productive

Auxiliary nurse (Current Employee) - Swindon, Wiltshire - 15 January 2020

its fast paced and need to think on your feet. involving patient personal care, assisting to bathroom and helping with nutritional and hydration for patient

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short staffed

Clinical Assistant (Current Employee) - Swindon - 18 December 2019

never seem to do the job applied for. several e mails and requests , something put in place but back doing same old stuff after 2 weeks. cant blame our line managers, the problem comes much higher up, someone leaves , don't get replaced and everyone else absorbs the duties

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poor management

Nurse (Former Employee) - Theatres - 19 August 2019

Theatres is a challenging environment, fast paced and you if you have a shift were you have a cooperative team and are not involved in politics, it is rewarding. However, most days, team work does not happen, and it can be quiet frustrating, and always the same ones being overstretched. The face fitting culture, the management style (intimidation/retaliation) and the well known NHS pressures are a nice cocktail for low morale and the "I don't care" attitude, with a high turn over of staff. If the face fits, you will have a chance for development and progression, otherwise make sure you are a member of a trade union!

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Hard work but rewarding

Phlebotomist (Former Employee) - Swindon - 8 August 2019

Working in a hospital environmental is stressful and there is pressure to get things done in a certain amount of time, but it is also very rewarding. The management are lovely but the higher management expect too much and the rules are too strict regarding sickness and work injuries.

Pros

Set hours, talking to patients

Cons

Busy, pressuring and working weekends. Not great sickness policies

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Day in NHS

Personal Medical Secretary (Current Employee) - Radiology - 2 July 2019

There is no typical day as my day is so varied and completely different every day. Some days can be rather difficult, which is the hardest part of the job. But no 2 days are the same.