News Update

August 2010

Stress in the NHS workforce – what to do?

The NHS recently launched their 2010 Sport and Physical Activity Challenge; a bid to inspire its workforce to get active by 2012. In a tough economic climate and a period of major organisational change within a workforce of 1.4million, encouraging physical activity could never have been more timely.

In an article for nhsManagers.net, an online newsletter for NHS Managers, Dr Simon Wallace, Healthcare Director for Optima-life tackles the issue of stress within the NHS and the ultimate need for a proactive approach to both stress and recovery.

He wrote:
'Although the recent White Paper is entitled 'Liberating the NHS', the NHS workforce may not be in the same mood to share such optimistic sentiments. In fact, as one of the largest global employers of around 1.4 million people, the NHS may well be about to experience an inevitable rise in stress that will impact on an employee's physical and mental health. Although the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance for employers on promoting mental wellbeing in 2009 http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/12331/45893/45893.pdf a recent BMJ article [BMJ 2010;340:c1743doi:10.1136/bmj.c1743] felt more concrete guidance was required. Stress is not easy to measure compared to other major causes of chronic disease eg. physical activity, smoking, poor nutrition, excess alcohol and often they are inter-related.

Follow this link to read the full article