Title of driver: NHS Health and Well-being Final Report (Boorman Review)
Source: Independent review commissioned by the Department of Health and led by Dr Steve Boorman
Link to main document: http://www.nhshealthandwellbeing.org
Publication format: Web site, with interim and final reports available as PDFs
Date of publication: November 2009
Summary of driver:
The report is an analysis of impacts on staff health and well-being within the NHS. The final report states that NHS organisations which prioritise staff health and well being:
- Achieve enhanced performance
- Improve patient care
- Are better at retaining staff
- Have lower rates of sickness absence
Suggestions include focusing on prevention and health improvement, providing efficient support for staff who present with ill-health, being proactive in tackling the causes of ill-health and providing early intervention services, where appropriate.
Reducing staff absence by a third could save the NHS working days equivalent to 14,900 whole-time equivalent staff.
Key features of driver: There is a separate Appendix with 50 case studies of NHS trusts sharing examples of best practice.
Primary audience: Department of Health, SHAs, NHS Trusts.
Impact on library policy/practice: Libraries could support the health and wellbeing of staff in a number of ways. These might include:
- Leisure reading collections
- Book clubs
- Displays related to health awareness weeks
- Poetry competitions
- Involvement in Health and Wellbeing events for staff, such as a stall at roadshows
- Development of collections of books or leaflets to support healthy living
One specific example is South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, whose library service ran Mood Boosting events to support Trust’s staff health and wellbeing.
Date last updated: November 2013
Due for review: November 2014
Group member responsible: JC
Tagged: National policy, Staff health and wellbeing, Workforce