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 under way! 

Since our last bulletin, there has been a change of government and as we journey over the next few months we will start to see what this means for us in the NHS and of course the wider occupational health agenda. The fit note consultation did continue despite the election campaigns and the Network responded with your views. Thank you to those who did contribute, and the Board representatives who supported the collation of our response (see item 3). It will be interesting to see how this work continues under the new government. 

In the last month, we have completed the judging of our brand new awards - the NHS OHPRAS (OH PRofessionals AwardS). I have been ‘blown away’ to see so many amazing projects and initiatives across the country. Thank you to everyone who entered, and we look forward to celebrating and sharing much of this work in the coming months. The winners will be announced at our conference on 11 September! 

Anyway, as this month is one where many holidays take place, I hope you get some downtime to recharge the batteries. I am already looking forward to September when we have our annual conference – always a highlight for the Network each year. If you haven’t booked your place, it's one not to miss so book now before we sell out! 

Best wishes

Hilary Winch

Chair, NHS Health at Work Network

In this edition:

1. Annual Conference: Almost Sold Out!

2. The Big OH Conversation: Watch this Space!

3. Fit Note Consultation

4. Staff Support Resources

5. Introducing the NHS OHPRAS

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6. MoHaWK Round 25 is here!

7. Network Member Discounts: EOPH Courses

8. Free Lunch and Learn Webinars

9. The King’s Speech

10. Courses and Resources

1. Annual Conference: Almost Sold Out!

We are looking forward to seeing many of you at our Annual Conference on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th September. We have an excellent line up of speakers on the main conference day on the 12th, and you can read more on our website.

Places are booking up fast and there are now just a very limited number of 24-hour conference places available, but we still have good availability for the day conference on the 12th. If you’d like to book extra places, please contact Anna McNeil, our conference organiser, at forumconferences@btinternet.com and she will send you the relevant booking form. Good discounts are available to Network members! The very last date you can book your place, subject to availability, is 30 August.

2. The Big OH Conversation: Watch this Space!

Our online Big OH Conversation will take place for a few weeks later this month and into early September. It’s a totally confidential and anonymous online discussion forum, managed by our partner Clever Together, and will contain a number of the big OH questions of the day. Network members will be able to feedback, comment, add ideas and vote on the questions and statements on the portal. Pete Thomond from Clever Together will present the findings at our annual conference. We want all members to take part and help shape the future strategy of your NHS Health at Work Network over the coming years. We will be in touch very soon with more detail and the links to the platform - watch this space!

3. Fit Note Consultation

Thank you to everyone who contributed their views on the Government’s Fit Note consultation. The Network has submitted its collective response available here.

4. Staff Support Resources

NHS England has developed an excellent range of online resources to support organisations to help look after their people. Check out the following links: 

NHS England » Support available for our NHS people

NHS England » Looking after your team’s health and wellbeing guide

5. Introducing the NHS OHPRAS

We were delighted to receive some many brilliant entries for our first ever NHS OHPRAS (OH PRofessionals AwardS), aimed at recognising and celebrating the achievements of our Members. The winners will be announced at our conference dinner on Wednesday 11th September - watch this space!

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6. MoHaWK: Round 25 is here!

MoHaWK Round 25 opened on 1st July for data input and will stay open until the end of the year to allow greater flexibility for when you can submit data. For those of you who have renewed your NHS Network Membership to include the MoHaWK package and need further guidance, here are the briefing notes for Round 25. If you have any specific queries, please contact hilary.winch@nnuh.nhs.uk 

7. Network Member Discounts: EOPH Courses

The Network has teamed up with EOPH to bring Members some excellent discounts on a great range of their training courses. All courses are virtual. If interested and for further information, delegates will need to email admin@eoph.co.uk from their NHS account and mention in the email that they wish to claim the NHS Network discount. The next courses are:

When Working Skin Stops Working – 10th October 2024 – 09:00–16:30 via Zoom

Early Bird £250 +VAT (EB ends 8 August 2024 (10% discount during Early Bird discount period, 10% discount off full price £295 +VAT once EB discount period ends).

This immersive style course will: 

• facilitate your development of knowledge, understanding and clinical skills in the general management of work-related skin problems.

• increase your confidence in undertaking skin surveillance and advising on relevant workplace adjustments.

Travel Risk Assessment – 1 November 2024 -  09:30–16:00 via Zoom

Early Bird £250 +VAT (EB ends 1 September 2024 (10% discount during Early Bird discount period, 10% discount off full price £295 +VAT once EB discount period ends).

International travel is an increasingly important part of the work of occupational health teams. This course is designed for both those who already advise business travellers, and those who are interested in developing this area of occupational health practice. Using a mixture of lectures and case discussions, the course will highlight the challenges facing those that travel globally for work purposes and will give you the opportunity to develop and update your skills, to enable you to provide evidence-based advice to support a global workforce.

Honing Report Writing – 6 & 14 Nov 2024

6 November 2024 – 16:00–17:30,                             

14 November 2024 – 13:00–17:00 via Zoom

Early Bird £150 +VAT (EB ends 1st Sept 2024) (10% discount during Early Bird discount period, 10% discount off full price £195 +VAT once EB discount period ends).  

This two-part workshop is best suited for OH nurses and OH allied health professionals who are new to report writing, or those returning to report writing and wishing to refresh their skills. It will enable you to deliver first class reports every time.

Part 1 – Disability Provisions of the Equality Act 2020 in the context of report writing

Part 2 – Report Writing Skills

A Concise Guide to Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace for OH Practitioners –  20 November 2024 - 09:30–16:30 via Zoom

EB £250 +VAT (EB ends 20th Sept 2024) (10% discount during Early Bird discount period, 10% discount off full price £295 +VAT once EB discount period ends). 

To develop skills in identifying mental health conditions, including what are the work factors we need to consider.

• An exploration of common mental health conditions, neurodiversity, suicide risk assessment, trauma and sleep hygiene
• Exploring mental health workability in safety critical roles
• An in depth look at some case studies where we explore mental health consultations and potential workplace adjustments
• What are the current mental health services available within the current landscape

8. Free Lunch and Learn Webinars

The London Centre for Work and Health (www.lcwh.org) is a cross-institutional partnership involving clinical and academic researchers from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Queen Mary (University of London), University College London, University of Southampton, Affinity Health at Work and other external partners. The centre runs regular virtual Lunch and Learn webinar sessions which are open to all. Previous recordings are available to view at https://www.lcwh.org/education-training-support

Upcoming sessions include:

Date: 10 September 2024, 12.30-13.15

Topic: Working the night shift and living with type 2 diabetes - summary results from the Shift Diabetes Study

Presenter: Dr Rachel Gibson (Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics from King’s College London)

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Join the meeting now

Date: 23 October 2024, 12.30-13.15

Topic: Occupational Health Research in Pakistan

Presenter: Dr Asaad Nafees (Associate Professor) from the Aga Khan University

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Join the meeting now

Date: 26 November 2024, 12.30-13.15

Topic: The lived experience of presenteeism in employees with long-term health conditions: A qualitative investigation into the decision to work whilst ill and its consequences.

Presenter: Hannah McAleavey (PhD candidate from University of Liverpool and intern consultant from Affinity Health at Work)  

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Join the meeting now

9. The King’s Speech

The recent King’s Speech outlining the new incoming Labour Government’s priorities can be seen here. Of particular note for Network members is the following extract:

“My Government will improve the National Health Service as a service for all, providing care on the basis of need regardless of the ability to pay. It will seek to reduce the waiting times, focus on prevention and improve mental health provision for young people. It will ensure mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health. My ministers will legislate to modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the twenty first century [Mental Health Bill]. A Bill will be introduced to progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes and impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes [Tobacco and Vapes Bill]. My Ministers will also legislate to restrict advertising of junk food to children along with the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to children. A draft Bill will be brought forward to ban conversion practices [Draft Conversion Practices Bill].” 

10. Courses and Resources

The Society of Occupational Medicine, in partnership with the National School of Occupational Health, is holding a virtual and in-person careers morning on September 25th from 10.30-12.30. More information and register here.  

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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 andrew.gilbey@nhshealthatwork.co.uk 

The NHS Health at Work Network does not, directly, or indirectly, endorse any product or service that is, or will, be provided by any of our Supporters. Organisations which become NHS Health at Work Network Supporters will not, in any way, state or imply that the NHS Health at Work Network endorses any such product or service that they provide. 

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