WIREDGOV

'Creating a Healthier NHS': NHS pilots well being assessments for staff

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH News Release issued by The Government News Network on 19 June 2008

Yesterday the first of 10 sites started testing a new approach to supporting the health and well-being programmes for staff delivering NHS services. Rotherham PCT launched this pilot for 300 of its staff. A further nine sites will be launched by 8th July.

This is part of a pilot taking place within three areas across the country to use a programme to support the improvement of employee health on the basis that healthy employees are less likely to be absent, be more fulfilled at work and more productive. It also to enables staff to lead by example on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Dame Carol Black, in her Health Work and Well-being report to the Government, has called for the public sector to lead by example in improving the health of the workforce - this pilot will help contribute to this.

Ann Keen, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health said:

"It is right that we focus our attention on the health and well being of our own staff, and that this becomes a proactive, preventative approach. This two-year pilot will empower employees to be more aware of their health and well-being and support them with strategies to improve things like nutrition and physical activity, and to reduce stress. Not only is this good for staff; it is good for the NHS. Healthier staff will help us deliver better services to our patients and positively influence their friends, families and colleagues."

Clare Chapman, NHS Director General of Workforce said:

"There are over 1.3 million staff delivering NHS services in the UK and supporting them to stay healthy matters if services are to continue to improve for patients. This innovative health and well-being programme demonstrates our commitment to learning with NHS staff how employers can support them to make healthy choices."

The pilot being delivered by vielife, will start with an on-line health and well-being assessment drive to help to identify health issues in the pilot workforce.

Throughout the pilot employees will receive on-line and off-line information on a wide range of health and well-being issues. The programme will also introduce a Healthy Eating programme that encourages busy staff to make good choices for themselves both whilst at work and at home. This will be followed by a Strength and Resilience programme to help staff identify and manage pressure in the workplace and everyday life. At the end of the first year, staff will be able to reassess themselves to see what improvements they have made. If there is still work left to do, then they will be able to undertake two additional lifestyle management programmes.

Pauline Fryer (Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Corporate Governance) from Rotherham Primary Care Trust said:

"We are delighted to be part of this national pilot and see this as an additional opportunity to improve the health and well-being of our staff, which is critical for our success in improving health and health services for Rotherham people."

Notes for Editors

The 10 Trusts are:
* Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
* University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust
* Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
* Mersey Care NHS Trust.
* East Lancashire Teaching PCT
* Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
* Rotherham PCT
* Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
* Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
* Sheffield Care Trust.

About vielife
vielife is a global leader in the development and delivery of integrated health & well-being programmes. Programmes are medically validated against data from the WHO SF36 standard, University of Michigan and Harvard Medical School. vielife is proven in delivering integrated online AND offline programmes to effect behavioural change.

About well-being assessments
Health & well-being assessments are delivered as an online, confidential assessment that take approximately 10 minutes to complete. This is provided by means of a health questionnaire that empowers individuals to assess and improve their health status through personalised reports and targeted recommendations. There is unlimited access to this tool; typically, people may want to complete an assessment every six months to measure progress on their goals.

The assessment provides aggregated anonymised data that will enable the NHS to measure and manage the health risk of their employees.