Q-active project information
Putting the 'health' into the NHS: A Trust leading by example
Q-active, based at the QMC Campus of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in Nottingham, is one of the first healthcare providers to have a dedicated project devoted to improving the health and wellbeing of staff. As part of the lottery-funded Active England programme, this innovative initiative was developed in direct response to the government's call for healthcare settings to 'set the example' for workplace health through the Choosing Health white paper:
"There are strong links between employment, individual health and the health of local communities. It is in all our interests to take forward action to support people into employment and improve opportunities for good health in the workplace. Income from employment increases the potential for people to make healthy choices; employees can benefit personally form being in a healthy workplace; for the employer, their workforce is their most important resource and society benefits from high employment and a fit and productive workforce." Chapter 7, p.171, Choosing Health.
Q-active is a three year project that aims not just to promote the health and physical activity levels of staff, but to change the health culture of a large NHS organisation.
Q-active, led by Project Manager Dr Sandra Lee, who has a PhD in exercise and health psychology from Loughborough, will affect change in the Trust on all levels from the individual, community, the work environment through to Trust policies. It comes when the Trust has recently become a no-smoking site and has capitalised on this by turning the staff smoking room into a staff wellbeing room offering a number of group-based sessions including yoga and Pilates, salsa dancing and holistic therapies. This transformation of a facility associated with stress-reduction that harms your health into a facility that tackles stress by increasing your health and wellbeing is a huge step on the way to changing the culture at the Trust.
Other planned interventions include refurbishing the staff changing areas to encourage staff to cycle or walk to work, the building of an attractive, safe perimeter path for staff to take exercise and fresh air during breaks or even with walking meetings and promotional campaigns to encourage staff to use the stairs, join department challenges and to generally introduce some fun and awareness of health and wellbeing issues. Measures to improve the quality of food provided for staff, and to address stress and morale issues will also be introduced over the next three years.
These measures are accompanied by an ambitious and rigorous research strategy, led by Dr Holly Blake of the University of Nottingham, designed to create a much-needed evidence-base for such health promotion initiatives in a healthcare workplace setting.
It is anticipated that Q-active will see a dramatic increase in the health and activity behaviours and attitudes of staff, which will reward Trust managers with decreased absenteeism and turnover and increased morale and productivity, providing a blueprint for all workplace wellness initiatives in future. On a more global level we anticipate results to have national influence with regards to physical activity and health policy in healthcare settings.
Key messages
1. Q-active is a large-scale health promotion intervention designed to promote internal 'cultural' change and improve staff activity and health behaviours and to promote external 'cultural' change through advocacy and pioneer work.
2. Our philosophy is that healthy, happy staff provide better patient care.
3. This Active England funded programme is a direct result of the 'Choosing Health' White Paper that will help set the NHS 'gold standard' for employee health.
4. Q-active is the first and largest initiative of its kind in the UK.
Project Aims and Objectives
Following the needs analysis and literature reviews of phase one, a main project aim and a number of specific objectives have been drawn up.
Primary aim:
To change the health culture of the organisation and staff of a large NHS Trust Hospital to become a health-promoting organisation where staff lead by example being actively encouraged and empowered to make healthy choices at work.
Secondary aims:
1. To produce a cost-saving to QMC from reduced lost days due to sickness absences amongst staff.
2. To produce a cost-saving to QMC in terms of productivity
3. To significantly reduce the cost to QMC staff in terms of their physical health, psychological wellbeing and job satisfaction.
4. To improve the perception of the organisation in the local community.
5. To improve the perception of the organisation amongst staff.
Objectives:
The Q-active project intends to achieve these aims through a series of specific objectives:
- To improve current staff physical activity facilities and provide more opportunities to be physically active at work.- To improve the nutrition facilities for QMC staff.
- To provide facilities for staff to unwind, socially interact, take breaks and to enhance their psychological wellbeing at work.
- To develop or create Trust health policies.
