Dear Colleagues

I am writing this in the week that I have started to notice ‘the nights are drawing in’! By 8.30pm here in Norfolk dusk is now very much present.  Sadly this is a sign that the summertime is coming to an end and Autumn is fast approaching.  I am sure like me, many of you are heavily involved in seasonal vaccination planning and trying to plan a programme with limited information of when we will start and what covid vaccine we will be delivering!  All very challenging! 

As September begins, I am looking forward to being able to reconnect with many of you at this year’s Annual Conference.  The afternoon before the conference, the Network Board will meet for its annual face-to-face meeting – please do send through to your regional representatives anything that you want to be raised in that meeting.  

This bulletin once again provides some great information regarding learning events and opportunities and as the Growing OH Strategy considers Growing our OH workforce – please do consider the request from the National School of Occupational Health to support pre-registration students. 

Best wishes

Hilary Winch

Chair, NHS Health at Work Network

In this edition:

1. Clinical Placement Opportunity

2. Certificate in OH Case Management: Discount for Network Members

3. Growing OH&WB Together – Free On-line Session

4. NHS Network Conference Programme

5. “Long COVID and Return to Work Support – What Works”

----------------Empactis Advertorial-------------------

6. Managing Drug and Alcohol Misuse at Work

7. BOHS Call for a National Plan on Asbestos

8. MoHaWK: Round 21 is Open!

9. Integrated Care Strategy Guidance

10. Useful Resources

1.    Clinical Placement Opportunity

The National School of Occupational Health (NSOH) are working with Universities to grow the understanding and awareness of Occupational Health amongst pre-registration nursing and AHP students. To support this, they are seeking OH departments to consider being a 'clinical placement' for these students.

The placement of two students (two are more manageable than one), depends on your capacity, and can range from 2 to 6 weeks.  The benefits for your team are numerous and include an opportunity to teach and supervise; upskill with exposure to best practice, knowledge and skills; professional development as well as assistance with projects, audits, and service delivery.  There is also a small placement tariff that can be claimed for each student.  

These placements benefit growth of the future OH workforce as evidence demonstrates that graduates select their first jobs based on placement experiences. 

If you are interested in becoming a placement, please contact Janet.Oneill@HEE.nhs.uk (NSOH) to be added to the list.  Further information can be provided on request. 

2.    Certificate in OH Case Management: Discount for Network Members

The At Work Partnership are pleased to offer NHS Health at Work Network members a discount of £200 + VAT for places on their Certificate in OH Case Management course, a virtual course running from 22 – 24 November 2022.

This practical three-day qualification is designed to train occupational health and other professionals in the theory and practice of case management skills – in order to improve absence management, job retention and return-to-work outcomes.

The course is delivered by an expert lecturing team with outstanding subject knowledge and includes course director, Dr Nerys Willliams, and Professor Kim Burton (one of the founders of the biopsychosocial and flags approach). Taught with a combination of lectures and group work, delegates will leave the course with a detailed knowledge and understanding of the case management skills that OH professionals need in practice. 

Book and pay by 20 September 2022 to qualify for the early bird rates!

To book or for more information visit: https://ohaw.co/CaseMgtNov22

3.  ‘Growing OH&WB Together’, Free On-Line Session – 21 September, 2pm – 3pm

The next NHS England 'Wellbeing Wednesday' community event is on Wednesday 21 September 2022, 2pm to 3pm, with a focus on the new Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing (OHWB) Together strategy.

Our expert speakers will be sharing their insight on leading OHWB services in the NHS and private sector, the positive impact these services have had on staff wellbeing, as well as providing more information about the national Growing OHWB Together strategy. Hear from speakers including:

- Dr Richard Heron: Private sector insights into growing OHWB services

- Giles Wright: Personal insights into leading NHS OHWB services

- Dr Adam Turner: Introducing the Growing OHWB Together strategy and getting started

- NHS England OHWB team: Helping to grow our OHWB community

By joining this online session, you will be able to take away information and ideas on how to grow the occupational health and wellbeing services, to support our healthcare people.

Register today via: www.events.england.nhs.uk/events/occupational-health-and-wellbeing-supporting-our-nhs-people

4.    NHS Health at Work Network Conference – 7 & 8 September

Check out the brilliant programme for our forthcoming Network Annual Conference here.  A few remaining day-delegate places are still available starting from £145 by contacting anna@forcumconferences.com, with the closing date for booking on Friday 2 September.

5.    “Long COVID and Return to Work Support – What Works?”

This paper provides a summary of a SOM Webinar entitled “Long COVID and return to work support - what works?” in March 2022, which was organised because of the different approaches to the management of Long COVID across the UK and elsewhere. 

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Health Manager from Empactis is part of a unique employee health management system which is already in significant use across the NHS. 

Health Manager can help your whole organisation to keep staff fit for work. It supports line managers, engages employees, and works seamlessly across OH and HR helping everyone collaborate.  

Capabilities include: 

• OH referrals – spanning manager and employee self-referrals
• Health surveillance – continuous monitoring and periodic check-ups
• Health risk assessments – run regularly and recorded consistently
• Mental well-being service delivery – prioritised alongside physical health
• Vaccination programmes – for Covid and ‘flu VCOD, boosters or ad hoc
• Appointment setting & management – including employee self-bookings
• Workplace assessments – results and adjustments are tracked and recorded  
• Automated updates and notifications – stakeholders alerted via email and SMS

Health Manager reduces the time, cost and frustration of manual tasks and disconnected workflows. You can focus on higher value, employee-focused support and interventions, with the aid of accurate, real-time operational reports and dashboards.  

It is designed around your needs, integrating perfectly with the NHS Staff Record (ESR) and Office365. Its friendly and intuitive workflows mean that you can implement fast, with minimal user training. 

To organise an on-line demonstration please email sales@empactis.com or call Gary Davies on 07825 131963.

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6.    Managing Drug and Alcohol Misuse at Work?

Employers have a legal duty to protect employees’ health, safety and welfare. Understanding the signs of drug and alcohol misuse (or abuse) will help you manage health and safety risk in your workplace.

The HSE website has step-by-step guidance to help you manage drug and alcohol misuse at work.  This includes advice on how to develop a drugs and alcohol policy and what you can do to support your employees.

7.    BOHS Call for a National Plan on Asbestos

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), a leading scientific charity and the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, together with the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM), has called upon future Prime Ministerial candidates to commit to a proper national plan on asbestos. This follows HSE statistics released this month Asbestosis, mesothelioma, asbestos related lung cancer and non-malignant pleural disease in Great Britain 2022 (hse.gov.uk), showing an increase in asbestos deaths to over 5,000 each year.

You can read more here

8.    MoHaWK: Round 21 is Open!

Round 21 opened for data submission on 1st July 2022 and will remain open until the beginning of the next round in January 2023.  The briefing notes for Round 21 are available here. 

If you have any queries then please contact hilary.winch@nnuh.nhs.uk

9.    Integrated Care Strategy Guidance

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published statutory Integrated Care Strategy Guidance. It recognises the opportunity for integrated care partnerships (ICPs) to improve the health and wellbeing of local populations through collaboration, joint working and integration, and support them to produce their integrated care strategy.

10. Useful Resources

Financial Wellbeing - New research from Wagestream finds that employers have changed their approach to financial wellbeing as a result of the cost of living crisis: Seven in 10 (17%) employers said rising costs have sharpened their focus on the financial wellbeing of their people. Moreover, eight in 10 (81%) employers said they’ve introduced new financial support in the last three months.  Read the blog from the Work Foundation here

Council for Work and Health - The Council is pleased to launch its LinkedIn page.  Here they will share news items / resources / events, and developments within the Council.  They Council has some really interesting projects coming up in the autumn so keep in touch by following them on LinkedIn.

How Do We Know Health Interventions Work? – A Free Seminar - The Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC) are running a free seminar which will discuss the evaluation of interventions in work-related ill-health and disease.  You can book your place 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  

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