Case Study: West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust improves staff health and wellbeing with NHS Employers

West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust - Customer Case Study

The customer, West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, faced high staff sickness absence rates, primarily due to musculoskeletal, psychological, and gastrointestinal issues. The challenge was to empower their widespread workforce to improve health and fitness, thereby reducing absence and increasing engagement. They worked with the vendor, NHS Employers, utilizing evidence-based guidance and frameworks to update their health and wellbeing strategy.

The solution implemented with NHS Employers involved a strong partnership between HR and Occupational Health, creating robust action plans. This included manager training, access to accredited health services, stress risk assessments, and a peer counseling program. The key result was a reduction in the cumulative sickness absence rate from 5.34% to 4.71% over one year. The trust also received positive staff feedback and expanded its health check programs across its geographic area.

West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust