University Hospital Southampton national winner of the Staff Wellbeing and Retention Employer of the Year Award

University Hospital Southampton has been named national winner of the Staff Wellbeing and Retention Employer of the Year Award for its progressive staff wellbeing programme during the Our Health Heroes ceremony.

Today (20th November) more than 200 guests, including Baroness Dido Harding and Prerana Issar (Chief People Officer at NHS Improvement, gathered for the fourth annual Our Health Heroes awards at London’s Science Museum.

Organised by Skills for Health and headline sponsor Health Education England, the national awards, which were hosted by Dr Dawn Harper and included a performance by former doctor turned writer Adam Kay, celebrated unsung healthcare heroes from across the UK.

The award-winning health and wellbeing programme was devised and delivered by a close partnership of University Hospital Southampton teams including Staff Wellbeing (Live Well), HR and the wider workforce.

Activities include health checks, mental health training and support, fitness opportunities and support to stop smoking for staff across the hospital. HR and staff worked together to revise a number of polices including equality, anti-bullying and harassment and flexible working.

Launched in 2016, the programme was introduced to improve staff health and wellbeing and has already had a positive impact on reducing sickness rates (currently at 3.3 per cent) while increasing retention, engagement and inclusivity.

The programme has also led to higher quality patient care – one of the Trust’s main values – and enhanced awareness of the important role of staff in influencing healthy behaviours in patients and the local community.

Julia Smedley, Head of Occupational Health at University Hospital Southampton, commented: “We are so proud of our staff and of the Live Well programme that we provide to support them.

“We are delighted by the national recognition that the Our Health Heroes Award brings. Working together is one of our core values, and this is a fantastic example of close team working between occupational health and wellbeing practitioners, human resources specialists and staff across the organisation.

Healthcare professionals submitted more than 880 nominations across eight award categories, including those in the Staff Wellbeing and Retention Employer of the Year Award.

John Rogers, Chief Executive at Skills for Health, said: “For the fourth year running I’ve been stunned by the quality of the nominations we have received for the Our Health Heroes awards.

“Congratulations to the whole team on being named winners; this award is a testament to their hard work and commitment to the wider team.”

Laura Roberts, Director at Health Education England (HEE), said: “As the headline sponsor for Our Health Heroes 2019, we want to congratulate everyone who made it to the shortlist and further offer our congratulations to the winners of this year’s awards.

“It is clear from the high standard of nominations that our NHS teams continue to play a vital role in delivering safe and compassionate care for patients and support for one another.

“We are delighted to see teams like these recognised for the role they play within our NHS and the dedication and passion they bring to their patients. It is truly down to these Health Heroes that the NHS can be the wonderful service that it is today.”