Article from The GUARDIAN 17/3/19

Soaring stress levels have led to a workforce crisis and alarming numbers of doctors and nurses are quitting their jobs at the NHS.

But hospitals are trying to reverse the trend by giving staff yoga sessions, free massages, bacon rolls, and their birthday as an extra day off in an attempt to relieve the pressures of caring for patients.

Growing numbers of trusts are laying on mindfulness classes, physiotherapy to relieve pains, and advice on good sleeping habits as ways of improving their personnel’s wellbeing.

Kingston hospital in London has hired a physiotherapist specifically to treat staff suffering from sore necks, backs and shoulders from the rigours of handling patients. A “mind/body practitioner” also teaches them yoga to improve their mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Every week scores of staff attend yoga sessions, pilates class or mind/body relaxation groups. Additionally, a “staff support chaplain”, who is a trained therapist, provides free pastoral care and counselling to those suffering with stress, anxiety or depression, whether caused by work or their personal or family life.

Kelvin Cheatle, the trust’s director of workforce, said it enlisted the trio’s help after its staff survey in 2015 showed that they “consistently felt stressed and under pressure and that the organisation wasn’t doing enough to help them. We implemented a health and wellbeing strategy to support staff through every type of their wellbeing – physical, mental, financial and family health.”

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