This Hot Topic is designed to assist organisations in exploring different methodologies to encourage organisations to examine their current reporting practices and push forwards the benefits of a well-rounded sickness absence reporting system.
The University Hospital Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) faces a unique communication challenge due its large geographic area. This makes it very difficult and time consuming for the Trust to communicate effectively with its three different constituencies of Lancaster, Kendal and Barrow. Therefore in an innovative move, it has been using emerging social media as a potential solution to this problem.
The project involved the launch, implementation and ongoing work of the Health and Wellbeing initiative at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. This was developed in line with the national agenda, as well as in response to local Staff Survey feedback in which employees had reported areas that could be improved.
Tate Liverpool’s Opening Doors Programme has been running since 1997, in partnership with local NHS Trusts such as Liverpool PCT and Mersey Care. Each year it is aimed at cross-sector professionals, working within broad health & wellbeing settings, with the aim of empowering them to use art as a way of supporting service users. This has had a positive impact on the mental health of staff, as well as helping patients to express their creativity in a constructive therapeutic way.
In July 2008, reported sickness absence across University Hospital of Morecombe Bay NHS Trust (UHMB) averaged 5%. There was also a tendency for the same members of staff to take sickness absence. Therefore the HR team embarked on a structured and robust policy to reduce sickness absence with the aim of bringing down the average level to 3.5% by 2012 which it is set to achieve
In 2010 this Trust commissioned a survey (ASSET) of staff perceptions of 7 key barriers to, and enablers of, wellbeing in the workplace. When these aspects of working life are well managed the workforce has good levels of psychological wellbeing and engagement. The results of the survey are contributing to a new programme of evidence based work to determine the enablers and barriers to wellbeing and to the development of the Trust’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
This project linked the work of the Environmental Health Section of Sefton Council and the Food Health Worker team in NHS Sefton. The aim was to help local food businesses in complying with food safety standards and to encourage them to promote healthier eating in order to improve food safety and health in the population of Sefton.
This Specialist Trust in Manchester has been successful in promoting an attendance culture to ensure the provision of high quality services to patients. A revised policy framework and a new Occupational Health provider have been key in building confidence and consistency in the management of sickness absence and in improving attendance.
The Cheshire Occupational Health Service (COHS) was established during 2008 as a collaborative service serving two Acute Trusts namely; Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust (MCHT) and East Cheshire Trust (ECT) and two PCTs. Formally launched on 1 April 2009, the service is growing to include neighbouring NHS organisations, public and private sector organisations, including The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, beating stiff competition from commercial rivals.
Stockport’s Occupational Health Department, located within Stockport Foundation Trust’s Stepping Hill Hospital, serves both the Trust and the local PCT, as well as a few private and public sector bodies. This department operates as a Hub and Spoke Model, which has received positive feedback from commissioners and continues to meet key performance indicators within acceptable variances.