Published – LinkedIn 4th September 2015
Staff absence within the NHS continues to make the news with articles such as http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33618978 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34120675
There are no easy jobs, as far as I am aware, within the NHS. Although rewarding the work brings mental and physical challenges, so the resilience and wellbeing of staff members is key to their sustainability at work. Its not just being at work either, its about being well and at work.
The NHS review into Health and Wellbeing (Boorman 2009) established that better staff health and wellbeing translates into improved patient experiences and outcomes. The empirical evidence to support long term beliefs about this arrived, yet it is still to be fully implemented.
Is the health and wellbeing of your employees part of your strategic planning? Is it included within the values of your organisation? For many the answer is yes, but do staff perceive this and does the organisation really ‘live its values’? For many this continues to be an area of disconnect.
Improving NHS staff health and wellbeing provides benefits to staff, improves patient experience and reduces the costs of staff absence. Simon Stevens has been clear about his vision for the NHS to practice what it preaches a little more. This improvement in quality and productivity is not exclusive to the NHS, it applies to all organisations. Further guidance has followed through NICE, and gradually the argument has been made and won that improving the health and wellbeing of staff should be intrinsic to every organisation due to the benefits achieved for both the employee and employer. However organisations need to clear about the outcomes they are aiming to achieve, in order to know whether their investment has been worthwhile.
We at The Healthy Worker have been privileged to provide Trainers Courses for NHS staff to deliver The Healthy Worker Course in-house. The outcomes have been fabulous and we are always delighted to hear back from Trainers about what’s been happening within their Trusts.
Below are some of the outcomes shared with us. The stories which accompany the outcomes are humbling and heart warming about the difference the course has made, and how lives have changed for the better. How having the tools to take control of their health and wellbeing for themselves has led to positive actions, with improved self esteem and reduced anxiety levels, as well as reduced absence levels. Staff from many and varied roles have reported benefits, Ancillary staff, Nurses, Therapists and Doctors. We can all benefit from structured time and tools to move forward and influence our destiny. It is an iterative process.
The Healthy Worker Course is empowering for staff members who may have lost focus on their own health and wellbeing, may struggle to attend work on a regular basis, or be finding work life balance difficult to achieve.
We recognise that it’s important to measure the outcomes, to provide feedback to commissioners and reassurance their money providing a positive return on investment (13:1 is an average). Our focus is on outcomes which are important within the workplace, to HR and Finance Managers. The results are detailed below.
Our next Trainers Course for NHS Trusts is on 23rd and 24th September. Contact us on info@thehealthyworker.co.uk for further information. If you don’t work within the NHS but are interested in this programme for your staff, please make contact as this course is now, for the first time, available more widely. We look forward to hearing from you.
Outcomes from The Healthy Worker Course
