Dear Colleagues

This year seems to be flying by. It’s hard to believe that we are already entering June which of course brings us the longest day offering 17 hours of (hopefully!) sunshine, so use this month as a time to establish some work life balance and indulge your daily dose of vitamin D! 

With the announcement of the General election just last week, this month will also be one that we should consider which party is likely to offer the best for the future of the work and health agenda. I suspect some of the government projects that have commenced will need to be briefly paused during campaigning and in the build-up to 4 July. The Network will be keeping a close eye on how things progress. 

This month’s bulletin is packed with vital information to aid you in your practice as well as for you to consider some future opportunities. Of note, I really would like you to draw your attention to the Network’s inaugural Recognition Awards. Don’t be shy in promoting and sharing any of your successful occupational health and wellbeing projects and initiatives. In addition, please see item 2 regarding the UKAP survey. This is a unique area for occupational health so make sure your Service completes the survey. 

It seems hard to believe that I am now in my last year of being chair of the Network. If you are interested in succeeding me, check out item 4 and don’t hesitate to contact me to find out more. 

Best wishes

Hilary Winch

Chair, NHS Health at Work Network

In this edition:

1. NHS Network Recognition Awards – Applications Now Open

2. UKAP National Audit

3. Discounted Training for Members

4. Network Chair Elect

5. Keeping Agency and Temporary Workers Safe

6. Welcome Helen!

7. Supporting Staff with Long Covid

8. MoHaWK – Round 25 is on the Way

9. UKAP Chair Vacancy

10. News and Resources

1.    NHS Network Recognition Awards – There’s still time to apply! 

Are you ready to recognise the projects and initiatives you are delivering in occupational health and wellbeing? Do you want to showcase and celebrate the people who are making all the difference in your team?

We are delighted to have started to receive applications for our new Network Recognition Awards for 2024 and want to invite you to apply too. Exclusively for NHS Health at Work Network members and free to enter, our Awards will celebrate and showcase the impactful projects and initiatives being delivered in the occupational health and wellbeing sector.

The first stage is the completion of a short application form. If you are shortlisted, you will then be asked to give a 10-minute virtual presentation to our judging panel. Applicants will find out if they have been successful at our Annual Conference Network Dinner on 11 September 2024 and winners will be profiled on our website and will receive a complimentary 24-hour Conference place to our 2025 Network Conference.

Applications close on 21 June 2024.

Email: admin@nhshealthatwork.co.uk to access your Recognition Awards application form. We wish you the best of luck! 

2.    UKAP National Audit

Please find attached a letter inviting your organisation to participate in a survey designed to contribute to the enhancement of UKAP guidance and advisory frameworks. The survey is open to all organisations that provide OH services to healthcare employers, professionals or other institutions where there is a requirement for EPP clearance.

More detail is contained in the letter, including the links to the survey.

Your participation in this important survey is very much encouraged - it will take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete, with a deadline of 14 June.

If you have any questions regarding the survey, please direct these to imogen.koopmans@gstt.nhs.uk with 'UKAP National Audit' as the subject.

Thank you in advance for your support and participation in the survey.

3.    Discounted Training for Network Members

The NHS Health at Work Network is delighted to team up with EOPH to offer discounts to their range of training events.

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:

26^th June - When Working Skin Stops Working £295 + VAT (£250 + VAT for NHS staff), 09.00 - 16.30.Contact admin@eoph.co.uk for more information and to book.

This one-day virtual, 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.

MFOM/AFOM Preparation course, 5 July 2024 onwards - 09:30-16:30 via Zoom 

£1,700 + VAT (10% reduction for NHS staff). Monthly online teaching days, covering the core knowledge to prepare delegates for the MFOM/AFOM Part 2 examination. Extensive course materials covering the essential knowledge for MFOM/AFOM, including revision frameworks and practice exam questions.

MFOM/AFOM Revision course, 10/11 July 2024 - 09:30 - 16:30 via Zoom, £350 + VAT (10% discount for NHS staff). A 2-day, interactive, online revision course, based on the new FOM curriculum, practising the method of delivery which will best prepare the candidate for the examination. 

Keep your eye on the bulletin for more courses later in the summer.

4.    Network Chair Elect

The NHS Health at Work Network is looking to recruit a Chair Elect, to succeed Hilary Winch as Network Chair when her tenure comes to an end in March 2025. If you are interested in finding out more, and for an informal discussion, please contact Hilary in confidence at hilary.winch@nnuh.nhs.uk

Applicants can contact admin@nhshealthatwork.co.uk for more details on how to apply.

The deadline for applications is Friday 28 June, with panel interviews to be held in July.

5.    Keeping Agency and Temporary Workers Safe

It is vital that employers protect the health and safety of gig economy, agency and temporary workers. Workers are as likely to have an accident in their first 6 months at work as during the whole of the rest of their working life. The HSE has advice around protecting those who are new to the job, including 6 ways to protect new starters and the website has guidance to help users and suppliers of agency and temporary workers understand their health and safety responsibilities.

If you are an agency or temporary worker your health and safety is protected by law and employment businesses (agencies) have a duty to make sure they follow it. A packaging manufacturer was recently fined £100,000 after an agency worker received severe hand injuries at a factory. 

6.    Welcome Helen!

We are delighted to announce that Helen Hunt will be succeeding Alison James as the Network Board representative for the south west region when Alison retires at the end of June. Helen is the Head of Occupational Services at Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust and alongside this role she leads the TRiM service for the Trust. Helen’s passion for OH has seen the service develop and grow successfully, and she looks forward to working collaboratively and representing her colleagues in the south west. 

7.    Supporting Staff with Long Covid

The co-Chairs of the NHS Staff Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group blog post on supporting staff with Long Covid is now published: 

Supporting NHS staff with long COVID | NHS Employers

8.    MoHaWK – Round 25 is on the Way!

Round 24 will be closed on 30^th June and then Round 25 opens on 1st July 2024 for data input. As per previous rounds we will leave this open until the commencement of the following round as this appears to have worked well for many Services who are still balancing work demands and allows 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, find enclosed the briefing notes for Round 25. If you have any specific queries, please contact hilary.winch@nnuh.nhs.uk

9.    UKAP Chair Vacancy

Applications are sought for the UKAP chairperson post which has recently been readvertised. More information is available here. If you would like further information on the role, please contact Dr Monica Desai at ukap@ukhsa.gov.uk

10. News and Resources

Your NHS Health at Work Network Board met in May. The key messages from the meeting are available here.

Health and safety competencies for NHS managers has been updated and is available at: https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/health-and-safety-competencies-nhs-managers

The control of diesel engine exhaust emissions in the workplace guidance (HSG187) and vehicle exhaust fumes guidance provides practical advice to employers and self-employed people on how to control exposure to DEEEs in the workplace, and so protect the health of employees and others who may be exposed. This guidance does not advise allowing engines to idle for extended periods of time and may be relevant to the build-up of exhaust fumes relating to ambulances outside hospitals.

NHS Agency Charges have recently been in the news. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68900203

Grants of up to £10,000 will allow health partnerships between England and Uganda, Zambia and South Africa to deliver innovative programmes focused on broad integrated themes including gender, engaging the diaspora NHS staff, wellbeing, technology and planetary health in global healthcare. Find out more, and how to apply 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                       admin@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