A CHARITY in Reading has been awarded tens of thousands in funding to support staff during one of the health service’s busiest periods.
Royal Berks Charity has been awarded a £50,000 grant from NHS Charities Together and NHS England, to bolster its work to improve the wellbeing of local NHS staff.
The grant has been awarded as part of an £11 million programme,which includes a £5 million contribution from NHS England, the Workforce Wellbeing programme.
Royal Berks Charity is one of 29 projects across England to receive funding from the programme this autumn.
NHS staff are currently working in some of the toughest conditions in history, with growing pressure from increased demand for health services and rising NHS vacancies.
Research from NHS Charities Together has shown that nationally almost half (47%) of NHS staff surveyed said their job was affecting their mental health and 41% their physical health.
Through this funding, Royal Berks Charity will launch a Preventative Health Programme to improve access to diabetes prevention services and tackle work-related stress across the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (RBFT).
The Preventative Health Programme will aim to improve staff access to the National Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP), as well as address health inequalities among staff at higher risk of diabetes, particularly those from black and Asian communities.
RBC will also seek to create evidence-based workshops and tools to help staff manage and reduce the impact of workplace stress.
These projects will help ensure that NHS staff have the support they need to continue to provide the best possible care for patients when it matters most.
Matthew Green, Staff Health and Wellbeing Lead at RBFT, said: “We are incredibly grateful to NHS Charities Together and NHS England for this funding.
“By investing in prevention, we can improve the wellbeing of our workforce, which in turn helps us deliver the best possible care for our patients.”
Ellie Orton, CEO, NHS Charities Together, said: “Many NHS staff feel that theirs is the best job in the world, but these roles come with a tremendous responsibility for the lives they care for, and at a time of incredible pressure on health services, this takes a toll on their mental and physical wellbeing.
“In the face of so many wider healthcare challenges it can be easy to forget about healthcare staff, but it goes without saying that we need a healthy workforce if we want a thriving NHS that can give patients the care they need.
“This funding means NHS charities like Royal Berks Charity can help ensure NHS staff prioritise their own health and wellness with the same care they give to patients, and we are delighted we can support this important work.
“We’ve spent a lot of time talking to frontline staff and analysing evidence from previous projects to arrive at solutions that will give healthcare staff the right tools to look after their own wellbeing.
Applications are now open for a second round of grant funding as part of this programme, in partnership with NHS England, and we’re excited to continue our work with NHS charities and other organisations to help the NHS go further for everyone.”
