It pays to be really good at employee recognition. According to various studies on the topic, companies with a solid strategy to recognise team members are proven to enjoy stronger engagement, increased employee morale, better customer service and lower staff turnover. And in the high-pressure environment of a GP practice, a little pat on the back once in a while is very, very welcome.

One practice that is doing exactly that is Fearnhead Cross Medical Centre in Warrington, where staff are actively rewarded whenever they receive positive feedback or go above and beyond the call of duty.

Practice manager Lisa Yates explains: “We thought it was necessary to recognise great service because we can focus so much on the bad – and it’s right to look at what we’re not doing so well, of course – that the positives can go unnoticed. Practice staff unfortunately have a high tolerance for abuse, so we decided to start our monthly team meetings on a positive note.

“We don’t do anything grand, but at our team meetings we always recognise when a member of staff has delivered outstanding service or gone the extra mile. Everybody loves a certificate, so we produce one for each recipient of a reward, and we also give them a small gift, whether it’s a box of chocolates, a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers. It’s a small thing but it means such a lot to people.”

When asked if the initiative is boosting service delivery and the desire to go the extra mile amongst staff, Lisa answers: “The desire to deliver great service and care was already there, before we started handing out awards, because that’s the type of people we are. We have truly wonderful staff and we’d be at a loss without them. However, they’ve all said at appraisal that they feel they feel appreciated. I’m not saying that this is the case for everybody all of the time because it is such a fast-paced, pressured environment, but I certainly think this scheme is one little way to recognise what our great people do.

“When we start our meetings there’s now a sense of anticipation and people do a little drumroll. There’s a real sense of fun.”

Nominations & awards

When it comes to handing out awards, Lisa says that there are no hard or fast rules about how many awards are made to the 27-strong team – if the practice has received positive feedback it’s recognised. Crucially, the practice doesn’t always hand out an award, so that it doesn’t become expected or given out for the sake of giving it out.

“For example,” explains Lisa, “one month a nurse, receptionist and HCA saved a baby’s life. The baby’s mum came into the practice absolutely frantic and handed the baby over to the receptionist. Together, they did what they had to do, an ambulance was called straight away, and the baby survived. When that mum got in touch to say, “thank you, I don’t know what I would have done without you,” we recognised all three members of staff.”

Lisa adds that feedback can come from pretty much anyone, including patients, carers or other healthcare organisations. “One award was presented after the head of primary care at the local CCG told us that they wished every receptionist was like the one they had dealt with here. Nominations can also come from colleagues, which I think means a lot – it’s the ultimate recognition in many ways. Partners at the practice are also welcome to nominate people when they’ve seen performance that has gone above and beyond. We also always respond to Friends & Family feedback, because otherwise it would just sit on a spreadsheet and the practice wouldn’t be benefitting from the feedback. It’s a way of making us sit up and take notice.”

One potential drawback of a scheme like this can be that people who don’t win awards feel excluded. Lisa says that this isn’t case because all awards are based on independent feedback. “I’ve never had anybody come to me to say “I did this but didn’t get recognised.” Everybody accepts that it’s based on feedback where you don’t know who it will come from or when. We openly encourage all staff to let us know when they receive a compliment. As well as dealing with complaints, why not celebrate when we’re doing something well?”

Staff retention

As mentioned above, effective recognition can boost staff retention. Lisa says that this initiative, introduced six years ago when she joined the practice, is contributing to low staff turnover.

“If people feel that they are treated well, are valued and that they are making a positive contribution – particularly in primary care at the moment which is very demanding – I think it does make you stay. If you feel undervalued and ignored, what motivation is there for you to keep getting up and coming into work every morning?”

The fact that the practice’s staff have worked there for years and years surely says it all – and highlights the potential of recognising and rewarding excellence.

One way of increasing staff involvement is to review the practice vision and mission statements, asking all staff for their input. The Vision, Values and Accountability Policy [PLUS] may prove useful for practices.

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