AHSN NENC to host Health and Wellbeing Symposium

Health and wellbeing specialists from across the North East and North Cumbria, will come together at the AHSN NENC’s first Regional Health and Wellbeing Symposium in May.

Hosted at The Durham Centre on Wednesday 11 May, the event is led by the Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing team at the AHSN NENC.

The Growing Occupational Health North East North Cumbria programme focuses on transforming the NHS workforce culture to empower staff to proactively access occupational health and wellbeing services.

The implementation of a ‘wellness culture’ is being piloted in four Foundation Trusts in the central and south of the region – South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The upcoming Health and Wellbeing Symposium is an opportunity to bring key stakeholders together to learn and share best practice across the health and wellbeing framework, as well as exploring opportunities for collaboration with NHS Trusts and organisations from across the region.

Keynote speakers on the day include: Dr Steve Boorman CBE, National Occupational Health Expert, Author of the 2009 Boorman Review and Chair of the Council for Work and Health NHSE/I, Dr Adam Turner, Improving Health and Wellbeing Lead at NHS England and Improvement, and Rhiannan Rubin, Head of Wellbeing, at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership.

Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing Programme Director, Gary Wright, said: “The health and wellness of the NHS workforce is paramount and it is our aim to empower staff to seek proactive occupational health and wellbeing services and offer the right psychological and physical therapies.

“Never before have the asks and expectations placed on NHS staff been so great. Pressures experienced before and during the Covid pandemic are now being followed by the imperatives of service recovery, as staff support those in need of treatment whose initial hopes and plans have been delayed by the focus on pandemic management. These asks affect every NHS staff member in the region, which is why it’s so important to bring key stakeholders together at this time.

“We’re delighted to welcome some of the country’s leading experts in health and wellbeing to the event to share the national context and work. We hope attendees will come away with greater insight into the health and wellbeing framework, links to the NHS people plan, new contacts and an understanding of the Growing OH and Wellbeing programme and how they can get involved.”

As well as expert talks, attendees can look forward to networking opportunities and the chance to share their feedback, celebrate successes and ask questions about the future of occupational health and wellbeing services in the region and beyond.

Keynote speaker Dr Adam Turner, Improving Health and Wellbeing Lead at NHS England and Improvement, commented: “Improving the health and wellbeing of our healthcare people is vital, as caring for our healthcare people enables them to pass that care onto our patients and service users.”

People with an interest in the health and wellbeing of NHS and care staff across the region are encouraged to attend the event and can sign up for free by visiting the Eventbrite page.

The Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing programme aligns to the ambitions of NHS People Plan, specifically the commitments of psychological support & treatment, supporting people through sickness.

Find out more about the programme here. For further information and to discuss accessibility, please email: [email protected]