Welcome to our August 2023 Bulletin

/Board Members 2022/543A8566

Dear Colleagues

As we head into August, I am starting to wonder where this year has gone – time just flies by and the autumn vaccine planning is well underway! 

Certainly, from a national perspective, life in Occupational Health is not standing still – this bulletin is packed with information on new NHS plans, evidence based reports, government consultations and some updates on key issues that we are all dealing with at present. Try and make the time to read these documents as they really will keep you up-to-date with the burning issues of the day. 

The new online resource web pages for our Members is progressing well. We would love to hear from you (see news item 3) and it would be great if you could share any of your good practice and documents to support us all in working more effectively together.

As we head through August, I hope you get some downtime to re-charge the batteries and I am already looking forward to September when we have our annual conference – always a highlight for the Network every year! 

Best wishes

Hilary Winch

Chair, NHS Health at Work Network

In this edition:

    1. NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan Launched
    2. Have Your Say on the Future of OH
    3. New On-line Resources for Network Members
    4. OH in Action: Case Study – Driving Up Service Quality
    5. Entonox: Impact on Fertility and Pregnancy Outcomes
    6. Burnout in Healthcare: Risk Factors and Solutions
    7. UKHSA - Renal Briefing note re: Potential Exposure to Hepatitis B
    8. Mental Health at Work - Reasonable Adjustments
    9. Stroke Vocational Rehabilitation Toolkit and E-Learning
    10. Courses and Resources

1. NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan Launched

The NHS has recently launched its long-term workforce plan. Of particular interest, the plan notes the importance of investing in occupational health and wellbeing, and a multi-disciplinary OH workforce. You can read the plan here

2. Have Your Say on the Future of OH 

The Government has launched the consultation Occupational Health: Working Better https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/occupational-health-working-better 

In parallel, HMT/HMRC have also launched the consultation Tax Incentives for Occupational Health www.gov.uk/government/consultations/joint-hmt-hmrc-consultation-on-tax-incentives-for-occupational-health  

As you know and advocate, quality occupational health (OH) services have the potential to prevent work-related illness and avoidable sickness absence, prevent people falling out of work, support business productivity, potentially reduce pressures on the NHS, and support a reduction in economic inactivity as a result of health conditions. However, OH coverage across Great Britain is currently at 45% of workers, which is substantially lower than international comparators.  

As announced by the Chancellor at Spring Budget 2023, as part of a £2 billion package of new measures to support people living with health conditions to succeed in work, the consultation will explore:       

  • the introduction of a national ‘health at work’ standard to help provide a baseline for quality OH provision including guidance, the option of pursuing accreditation and additional Government-funded support services as well as employer best practice sharing (Chapter 1); 
  • best practice from other countries and other UK-based employer models that enable employers to provide support for their employees (Chapter 2); and  
  • how we develop and support a multidisciplinary workforce on work and health, including an expert OH workforce. This will build on the existing work with the OH sector and explore the opportunities this can offer businesses and providers (Chapter 3). 

This consultation brings together employers, the healthcare sector, and local communities by seeking their views on ways to increase OH coverage. Please contribute your views using the links above.

3. New On-line Resources for Network Members

The Network is creating a suite of resources for members, to aid good practice, both clinically and administratively. The new OH Guidance section on our website is available to Network members here.

This month a new template procedure document for Blood and Body Fluid Incident Management Guidance has been added to the site. 

This month we would love you to share examples of Service Level Agreements that you have with your own organisations. This is an area which some Member organisations have found challenging, so it would be great to have some examples to share.  Please note we are happy to take off references to Trust and/or anonymise if you would prefer. 

Other documents that would be great to share are Privacy Statements for the OH department as well as confidentiality policies, SOPS and statements

Please send any documents you are happy to share with Network members via our website to admin@nhshealthatwork.co.uk

4. OH in Action: Case Study – Driving Up Service Quality

Driving up service quality by using SEQOHS accreditation across Network Members in the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICS.

The North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICS recognised the need to improve the quality of future OH services in four of its provider trusts through achievement of the national SEQOHS accreditation. A key objective of their programme was to improve communication and collaboration between the trusts and in turn enable the standardisation of best OHWB practice across the region. Read case study

5. Entonox – Impact on Fertility and Pregnancy Outcomes 

Thank you to those individuals who have been in touch following the last months briefing regarding Entonox monitoring and control. It is clear that this is an issue that many organisations are reviewing at present and I know many of you found the briefing update helpful. One Trust had explored (due to concerns raised by staff) ifoccupational nitrous oxide exposure is associated with adverse impacts on fertility or pregnancy outcomes. The response from the UK Teratology information service (commissioned by UKHSA) responded with the attached guidance.

6. Burnout in Healthcare: Risk Factors and Solutions

SOM has published Burnout in healthcare: risk factors and solutions which details the steps needed to help combat the condition, found to be rife in healthcare. Drawing on research data from a wide variety of sources, the report found that those working in healthcare, such as doctors, nurses and care workers, are particularly prone to experiencing burnout.  According to the 2022 NHS workforce survey, more than a third of healthcare staff report feeling burned-out at work, with staff in clinical roles found to be most vulnerable. Further data shows that 54 percent of doctors displayed signs of emotional exhaustion and nearly 40 percent of nurses ‘often’ or ‘always’ felt burned-out at work.

7. UKHSA - Renal Briefing note re: Potential Exposure to Hepatitis B 

UKHSA released a briefing document on 4th July regarding the potential exposure to hepatitis B virus in renal dialysis patients due to the failure to follow national guidance on management of patients with HBV in renal units. Whilst this briefing note mainly focuses on patient-to-patient transmission, there is a reminder paragraph around staff being vaccinated and having anti-HBs levels checked. Of course, this works alongside the Integrated Guidance where there is clear guidance for staff who undertake clinical duties in renal units. This is a timely reminder to ensure your local practice complies with these relevant briefings and guidance documents. 

8. Mental Health At Work – Reasonable Adjustments

Acas recently launched new guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health at work, and have a brand-new podcast episode on the subject here. 

Guest speakers include Jo Yarker, Managing Partner at Affinity Health at Work; Julie Denning, Managing Director of Working To Wellbeing and Chair of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association, and Francoise Woolley, Acas Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing. The episode discusses:

  • What are reasonable adjustments for mental health
  • Legal considerations
  • Supporting health and wellbeing at work

Acas also have a Reasonable Adjustments for Mental Health Toolkit with further useful assets and resources to help you promote their new guidance and research.

9. Stroke Vocational Rehabilitation Toolkit and E-Learning

The VR toolkit and e-learning consists of a suite of 3 resources:

This is all incorporated into a stroke VR e-learning package. It can be accessed here.  NB: you will need to register and login using your normal e-learning for health username and password to access the learning hub and e-learning.

10. Courses and Resources

How Can Office Workers Spend Less Time Sitting? The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) have recently published a plain English summary of research showing that an intervention to encourage office workers to stand and move reduced their sitting time after one year. 

How Health Has Changed in Your Area: 2015 - 2021: Check out the Office for National Statistics interactive tool to see how health has changed in your area.

NHS Staff Sickness Hits Record High in England available here

Blog: The Work Foundation: Making Remote and Hybrid Working More Inclusive: Understanding Disabled Workers’ Experiences here

Certificate in Managing Mental Health at Work: 8 – 10 November 2023, A Virtual Course. The At Work Partnership is delighted to offer NHS Health at Work Network Members a discount of £200 + VAT for places on their Certificate in Managing Mental Health at Work course. This practical three-day qualification is designed to give OH professionals the in-depth knowledge, strategies, skills and techniques to successfully manage mental health in the workplace. Book and pay by 20 September 2023 to qualify for the early bird rates! More information is available from: https://bit.ly/CMMH23

NEC -  Health & Wellbeing at Work Conference 2024. We have been approached by the organisers of the popular NEC Health & Wellbeing at Work Conference to ask if any Network members wish to submit a presentation request to showcase some of the fabulous work that you have been undertaking. Please find enclosed a submission form to complete and submit by the end of August 2023.

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The NHS Health at Work Network brings together all OH teams providing health and wellbeing services to NHS OH staff.  It is dedicated to providing consistent, high quality health at work services to all NHS staff through collaborative working.

Members of OH teams in NHS Health at Work Network member organisations can receive the bulletin and access the restricted areas of the website as a membership benefit – if you are not sure of your login details email admin@nhshealthatwork.co.uk  

Please share this bulletin with colleagues and encourage them to register to receive it regularly.  Non-Network members can also register to receive the monthly bulletin here.

You can contact the Network through your regional representative or as shown below.  Please get in touch if you have any queries or comments, if there is anything you would like to see in future issues of the bulletin, or if you have news to share.

Hilary Winch, Chair                                                 hilary.winch@nnuh.nhs.uk

Andrew Gilbey, General Manager                       admin@nhshealthatwork.co.uk  

Postal address: NHS Health at Work, PO Box 857, York YO31 6FR