Staff Health and Wellbeing at Thursby Surgery

Covid-19 has caused unforgettable disruption and challenges to healthcare. Given the added stress and pressure of working in the NHS during a pandemic we felt it was important to take steps to address staff well-being – mental, emotional and physical.

It is crucial that we look after ourselves and each other if we are to continue looking after our patients. This is why at Thursby Surgery, we decided to launch our  Staff Wellbeing initiative. During our staff meeting, we talked about the importance of mental health wellbeing and recognised the impact COVID-19 has had on our staff. We designated Rebecca, our Practice Pharmacy Technician, our Wellbeing  “champion” to signpost colleagues to organisations that could provide support and help. We also encouraged staff to speak to a colleague, if they felt that support and advice about their mental health would be valuable and highlighted websites that could help. 

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Setting up the ‘Thursby Troopers’ WhatsApp group enabled staff to keep in touch with each other and in touch with what is happening in the practice. This was particularly useful when staff had to self-isolate due to having symptoms of COVID-19. It helped in the preparation and last minute alterations of rotas and also made the day-to-day running of the practice easier for the managers. Most importantly, staff felt emotionally supported as a result of all this, which they have said improved their general well-being. One of the nicest comments was that staff felt more connected with each other now. We definitely feel a sense of unity among the team at Thursby Surgery, and we feel we have a better stronger team environment as a result.

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Physical activities are paramount importance to our mental health. Regular moderate exercise/relaxation exercises, yoga, dietary/good eating habits and sleep hygiene help us to overcome fatigue and improve our mood. 

With this in mind, we incorporated exercises in our day to day busy working lives for all staff to remain healthy and active. We believe the best way of promoting physical activity to patients is to model it amongst the staff. Collective discussions during our staff meeting were productive as it helped staff to understand the benefits of staying healthy physically and mentally.

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To help improve our team spirit, a weekly collective step count promoting physical activity was introduced to those who wished to participate. Staff were informed of apps available to help increase activity such as Better Health found on the NHS website. They were reminded to share their own experiences and any other ways to keep active, looking after our wellbeing and staying healthy in every staff meeting. 

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Every few months all of our Thursby Surgery team goes out for 'Troopers Tea', this is to socialise and unwind outside of work. We are a work family and we believe that team wellbeing is a big thing. 

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Our Thursby Surgery team also go out a few times a year to do activities such as bingo, escape rooms, pendle hill walks, barge trips and much more. We feel this is a great for team building and team wellbeing.

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Our ultimate goal is to ensure and support healthy, active staff which in turn will motivate all our patients. Adapting to new ways of working is always challenging and we are hopeful some of these activities will endure beyond the pandemic.

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Please see our recent wellbeing newsletter below