The NHS Childcare Survey 2004, carried out on behalf of the Department of Health, says the NHS 'makes a real commitment to looking after its staff'
and further enhances its image as a family-friendly employer.
Information was gathered from 512 NHS organisations in England, including primary care trusts, acute trusts, mental health trusts and ambulance trusts.
The survey found that NHS organisations provide 11,700 nursery and creche places for children under five, three-quarters of which are subsidised.
In addition, two-thirds of NHS organisations offer childcare vouchers, which allow staff to save on tax and national insurance contributions. Of those not providing vouchers, 61 per cent intend to make them available to staff by the end of this year.
The survey also found 78 per cent of organisations plan to extend their childcare support in the future by building new nurseries, providing emergency childcare and building links with other NHS organisations to make childcare support available to more staff.
Health minister Lord Warner said, 'The investment we've made in on-site nurseries is really paying off. Nearly all NHS organisations who responded to the survey provide access to a childcare co-ordinator, showing they recognise the need to help staff balance work and home responsibilities.'
But Ann Munday, sector lead for childcare at the south-west London NHS, said more needed to be done to raise awareness of the availability of childcare support. She said, 'In the 2004 NHS national staff survey only 35 per cent of staff knew they had access to a childcare co-ordinator, 16 per cent said they did not have access and the rest did not know.
'Our co-ordinators are constantly sending out information to staff and the message will get through eventually. The co-ordinators have done a good job in improving staff recruitment and retention but I don't think it is always recognised enough.'
In 2004, 4Children published an impact review to assess the success of the NHS childcare strategy in south-east London at improving working life. It found childcare support was a significant factor in retaining staff and reducing turnover costs.