Preventative Measures Could Save £555 Million - RCN Responds To Boorman Review, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 24 Nov 2009 - 3:00 PST

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Responding to today's publication of the Boorman review into Health and Wellbeing of the NHS workforce, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) welcomed better preventative measures to improve the health and wellbeing of NHS staff.

Highlighting the £555 million that could be saved he also called for a step change in the way the NHS manages health and wellbeing. He said:

"The RCN welcomes this important report, and the commitment from the government to accept the recommendations in full as well as providing additional funds. We know that investing in proactive health and wellbeing services, in particular occupational health nurses, will save the NHS money which could be channelled into patient care. The NHS should be a world leader in promoting healthy workplaces, and we look forward to working with the government and employers to deliver this.

"We need a step change in the way the NHS manages staff health and wellbeing. With over 10 million working days lost due to sickness each year, and staff working when they are not well enough to do so, the quality of patient care will inevitably suffer. The NHS has a moral and legal duty to protect staff from the work related causes of ill health.

"The RCN has said for some time that staff health and wellbeing must be central to the way NHS organisations function. By committing to the implementation of these recommendations, the NHS should improve not only the quality of care but the sustainability of services. "

Notes

The RCN has provided comprehensive evidence to the review from both a staff perspective and the expert opinion of occupational health nurses. The evidence highlighted the need to invest in prevention and provide decent working environments, address some of the health inequalities which exist in the workplace and build the capacity and competency of occupational health services. The RCN also stressed the important link between staff health and the quality of patient care.

The review found that many staff are being made unwell by their working environments and often work when they are unwell. Improving staff well-being by a third would result in an increase of 3.4 million working days a year, £555 million in direct cost saving, and most importantly improvements in patient care.

Source
Royal College of Nursing (RCN)