Pilates and zumba: Shropshire hospitals trust in bid to help staff stay healthy
Pilates, zumba and aikido have been brought in as part of a drive to keep hospital workers in Shropshire healthy.
Staff also have access to 24-hour gyms, can attend "stress-reduction classes" and are offered help to stop smoking.
The trust that runs Shropshire's two acute hospitals today said the measures were necessary to ensure its staff stay fit.
It is also cutting out sugary drinks in its vending machines and launching a drive to persuade staff to eat salad in its restaurants.
It comes as Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, announced a major drive to help NHS staff stay well. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, says it is extending its range of services to staff.
As well as a discounted 24-hour-a-day staff gym at each hospital, the trust holds classes in pilates, zumba and aikido.
Staff also have access to physical health checks and mental health support through occupational health, as well as mindfulness stress-reduction classes and stress and resilience training.
Physiotherapy assessment and subsequent treatment programmes are being introduced and staff are also able to benefit from health kiosks twice-a-year, which provide tests on key health indicators, as well as quarterly health and wellbeing roadshows which include mini-health checks and advice on healthy living.
The trust also offers smoking cessation clinics in partnership with local authorities and flu jabs to all its staff.
Deputy workforce director Paula Dabbs said: "We want to make the trust an even better place to work, and part of that is ensuring we look after the health and wellbeing of our staff.
"In June, the health and wellbeing project team carried out a survey that looked at areas such as mental health wellbeing, physical activity, healthy eating, smoking-related ill health and alcohol and substance misuse.
"With more than 800 respondents, this has given us the basis for how our health and wellbeing plan will look over the next three years.
"We are working with local authorities to not only support our staff in preventative health and wellbeing, but to also support our patients.
"By working collectively, our vision is to make Shropshire the healthiest county in the UK."
The trust is ending the sale of energy drinks because of excessive sugar content and using rapeseed oil for all fried food
Catering services manager Chris Fisher said: "We are reviewing all of our restaurants. It is planned that the main feature at each site will be a self-serve salad bar, which we are hoping to install this financial year.
"We are also in the process of developing overall commercial healthy eating standards, which will include what can and can't be sold in vending machines.
"As well as this, we have been in discussions with local vegetable suppliers to see if we can set up a 'market stand' at each site to sell fresh vegetables to staff and visitors."
