Motivation and job satisfaction of cleaning staff in the NHS: a pilot study

Fourteen NHS hospital ward cleaning staff were interviewed about their background, job satisfaction and motivation as part of the evaluation of a new cleaning system. Four (28%) staff had attended university, five (35%) had no qualifications and the remainder had a range of educational attainments. Nine (64%) did the job to earn money, three (22%) because they liked it and two (14%) because there were no other opportunities. Repetitive tasks were undertaken routinely with tight control of method and order of working. The work was tiring and ad hoc requests increased the burden. Although all staff knew what was expected of them in their job, nine (62%) reported they “knew themselves” if they had done a good job as feedback was frequently absent or belated. Opportunities including access to the internet were limited and long hours doing extra work reduced free time. This pilot study highlights the potential of these healthcare cleaning professionals to contribute and develop given the opportunities.