Publish date: 4 December 2024
Northumbria Healthcare wins award for collaborative approach to improving staff health and wellbeing through physical activity
Northumbria’s Safe, Fit and Well staff physiotherapy referral scheme has won an NHS Health at Work Network Recognition Award.
The Safe, Fit and Well project was initially developed by the organisation’s wellbeing team and staff physiotherapy service, focussing on using physical activity to support staff with musculoskeletal (MSK) concerns, such as back and joint pain.
This project plays a role within Northumbria’s wider commitment to staff wellbeing through the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, as well as the Community Promise.
With research showing that physical activity improves mental health, relieves stress, and leads to workers taking 27% fewer sick days (Active Partnership, 2019), Northumbria has highlighted physical activity as a key aspect to staff wellbeing.
To support this, the trust repurposed spaces in its hospitals to create modern and comfortable gyms with state-of-the-art facilities.
‘Wor Gym’ memberships provide Northumbria staff with gym access, one-to-one personal training support, a variety of fitness classes, and many other benefits.
With key objectives of the gyms being accessibility and affordability, memberships are priced at just £1 per month via salary deduction.
The development of these facilities allowed the growth of Northumbria’s Safe, Fit and Well pilot, which identifies physically inactive staff and provides them the opportunity to engage in a 6 to 12-week exercise programme under the guidance of a qualified professional.
Referral routes within occupational health and staff psychology were also introduced to investigate whether physical activity could be used to improve a wider range of health issues in staff, including mental health.
Nicole Contogiorgi, head of occupational health and wellbeing services at Northumbria Healthcare, said: “We are fully committed to supporting the wellbeing of our colleagues. This is demonstrated through the teams’ innovative ways of working and various strategies that outline clear and progressive plans to improve wellbeing across the organisation. We are always open to feedback and will continue working hard to enhance the wellbeing of our people”.
Success story
The wellbeing team alongside the staff experience team have shared several success stories across various platforms to highlight the benefits of the Safe, Fit, & Well programme.
One participant really benefitted from the programme, saying: “It has made me much more mindful of looking after myself and getting back to where I used to be in terms of fitness and flexibility as well as keeping my heart, body, and mind strong. I had my children later in life and I want to be as healthy and active as possible for them”.