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The NHS People Plan - workforce health and wellbeing

Details of the health and wellbeing asks from the NHS People Plan, together with resources and guidance to help employers complete the actions.

18 February 2022

A diverse group of healthcare staff walking along a hospital corridor.

The NHS People Plan was published by NHS England on in July 2020, and sets out the actions that organisations, employers, staff and systems need to take.

The NHS people plan includes a specific commitment on looking after our people, which clearly outlines the actions we must take to keep NHS staff safe, healthy and well, both physically and psychologically, with quality health and wellbeing support for everyone.

The actions for employers fall under three areas:

health and safety
physical and mental health and wellbeing
flexible working.

We have summarised the specific asks under each area and have signposted to relevant tools, resources and guidance that can support you as employers to carry out the actions.

The plan also includes the NHS People Promise, which outlines behaviours and actions that staff can expect from NHS leaders and colleagues, to improve the experience of working in the NHS for everyone.

Read the full plan: We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/2021 and supporting 2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance.

Infection control
- Infection control during COVID-19.
- COVID-19: information and advice for health and care professionals.
- National infection prevention and control guidance for NHS healthcare staff.
Encourage staff to have up to date vaccinations
- COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination for NHS staff.
- Poster resources for encouraging vaccinations - Public Health England
Carry out regular risk assessments for your staff
- Risk assessments for staff.
- COVID-19 risk assessment for doctors guide - British Medical Association
Support your most clinically vulnerable staff
- COVID-19 guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk.
- Supporting clinically extremely vulnerable staff.
Domestic violence
- Our domestic violence guidance.
- Domestic violence and abuse: supporting NHS staff.
Bullying in the workplace
- Tackling bullying in the NHS infographic.
- Toolkit to promote cultures of civility and respect - NHS England
- Creating a culture of civility, compassion and respect in the NHS - Social Partnership Forum.
Violence from patients
- Violence protection and reduction standard. Guidance to protect staff from violence in the workplace including from patients - NHS England.
- Guidance on violence reduction in the NHS - Social Partnership Forum
- Supporting the work without fear campaign. Campaign to protect NHS ambulance staff.
Support staff through new ways of working
- Enabling and supporting staff working from home.
- Improving the personal safety of lone workers. A guide for staff who work alone.
Ensuring adequate rest and access to food and hydration
- Back to basics for a healthy working environment infographic.
- NHS staff wellbeing needs poster. Highlights the importance of basic needs to help ensure our NHS people feel healthy at work.
- Supporting the wellbeing needs of NHS staff guidance.
- Re st, rehydrate, refuel project by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Every member of the NHS should have a health and wellbeing (HWB) conversation, develop a personalised plan, and have a HWB induction when they start. HWB conversations may fit within an appraisal, job plan or one-to-one line management discussion, and should be reviewed at least annually.

As part of this conversation, line managers will be expected to discuss the individual’s health and wellbeing, and any flexible working requirements, as well as equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Health and wellbeing conversations guidance.
- Top tips for supporting line managers.
- Having safe and effective health and wellbeing conversations - NHS England
- Introduction to health and wellbeing conversations - Leadership Academy
Wellbeing guardians
Cost of living
- Supporting staff with the rising cost of living.
Access to psychological support
- Mental health in the workplace guidance.
- Rapid access to treatment and rehabilitation.
Musculoskeletal health in the workplace
- Musculoskeletal health in the workplace.
Support staff on transport to work
- Mileage allowance FAQs.
Sickness absence
- Sickness absence toolkit.
- Occupational health guidance.
- Improving performance by improving staff wellbeing - North Bristol NHS Trust.
Stress and burnout
- Supporting our NHS people experiencing stress.
- Beating burnout in the NHS.
Attraction
- Adjust recruitment practices to advertise all roles as open to flexible working patterns.
- Read about having an effective job design in the flexible working: enablers for change guide.
Flexible working cultures
- Open up conversations about flexible working more regularly – at induction, as part of appraisals - and aim to offer as much flexibility as possible to all staff in all roles and at all levels.
- Flexible working: toolkit for individuals and line managers.
- Nurses’ views on flexible working.
- Flexible working common myths.
- Improving staff retention guide.
Flexibility from day one
- Adjust flexible working processes to enable staff to request flexibility from the start of their employment, or at any time.
- New contractual flexible working provisions.
- What NHS organisations are doing to support their staff to work flexibly.
- Flexible working in the NHS toolkit - NHS England
E-rostering
- Organisations should implement effective e-rostering systems to enable flexibility.
- Good rostering guide.
Guidance for managers
- Guidance for managers on flexible working - NHS England
Primary care flexible staff pools
- Information on primary care flexible staff pools - NHS England
Junior doctors and doctors in training
- Delivering greater flexibility during medical training.
- Flexibility for doctors in postgraduate training - Health Education England
Support staff with caring responsibilities
- Use the working carers passport and support flexible working for carers.
- Supporting staff with caring responsibilities.
- Supporting our working carer’s guide - NHS England

The NHS People Plan - workforce health and wellbeing

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