First-of-its-kind wellbeing hub launched

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) has launched a one-stop-shop wellbeing hub to help its 10,000 staff and volunteers to be at their best, both at home and at work.

The hub, which launched on 12 October 2020, brings together a huge range of services into one place so that ESNEFT colleagues can access fast, effective support for their health and wellbeing, in turn helping them to deliver even better patient care. It will provide:

• Occupational health – which will make sure staff are physically and emotionally fit to carry out their roles to the best of their ability. Services include new starter assessments, immunisations, support from a duty nurse, advice on sharps injuries, a dedicated menopause clinic and physiotherapy to help colleagues get back to work after an injury.
• Emotional wellbeing – which will provide specialist psychological services while also running ESNEFT’s mental health first aid programme, which teaches staff practical skills to help them spot mental health issues so that they can support their colleagues.
• Health and wellbeing – which will inspire and motivate staff to try out new activities and get fitter and healthier, and will also carry out welfare checks, hold wellbeing events, promote healthy lifestyles and offer advice on finances.
• Raising concerns – which will make sure that anyone who wishes to can confidentially share a concern with our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, which will help us to continue improving the services we provide for our patients and the working environment.

Nick Hulme, Chief Executive, said: “We are committed to looking after our staff and volunteers and helping them to be at their best, both at home and at work, and hope that this fantastic one-stop shop wellbeing hub will help us to do just that.

“The hub will make sure that everyone at ESNEFT can access fast, effective support for their health and wellbeing, in turn helping us all to look after ourselves and each other so that we can live our lives to the fullest while continuing to provide the very best care for our patients.”

The wellbeing hub has been developed with an investment of £500,000, a significant portion of which was donated through a COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing Appeal run by Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity. Further funding has been provided by NHS Charities Together.

Mandy Jordan, Associate Director of Charity and Voluntary Services, said: “We are delighted to support this fantastic new wellbeing hub for all our staff and volunteers.

“We would like to thank everyone who donated so generously to our COVID-19 staff wellbeing appeal, as well as NHS Charities Together. Their generosity will make a real difference to our hard working staff and volunteers by helping safeguard their emotional and physical wellbeing so that they can continue to do their very best for the patients in their care.”