Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands visited the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, in Northfield, to learn more about wellbeing work at the Trust, and how colleagues are being supported as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Thrive at Work programme.
Image caption: (L-R) Jo Williams, Chief Executive at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital; Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands; Tim Pile, Chair of the Board at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital; Laura Tilley-Hood, Wellbeing Officer; Mubasshir Ajaz, Head of Health and Communities at WMCA.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said “I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to visit the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and meet the staff that make a real difference to the lives of people accessing the important services here.
“It was wonderful to hear how our Thrive at Work programme has helped them to introduce health and wellbeing initiatives for the Trust’s hardworking staff.
“Since the awarding of their Thrive at Work accreditation, the team here has succeeded in driving meaningful change as they seek to embed the health and wellbeing of staff as a key priority. I congratulate them on their efforts and I look forward to seeing the lives of local people changed for the better in the months and years ahead.”
Laura Tilley-Hood, Wellbeing Officer at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, said: “It’s great to welcome Andy and talk to him about how the Thrive at Work framework means we can implement meaningful health and wellbeing initiatives, that make a difference to our staff. From our induction programme for new starters, to practical things like dedicated wellbeing spaces in the Trust and undertaking wellbeing conversations, colleagues feel well supported with their physical and mental health and wellbeing.
“We are now looking at how we can obtain the Thrive at Work Silver accreditation.”
The Trust was successful in gaining its Bronze accreditation from the Thrive at Work Workplace Wellbeing programme after submitting evidence showing how it supports staff and their health and wellbeing at work. Thrive at Work is a workplace commitment with criteria and guidelines on creating a workplace that promotes employee health and wellbeing, run by the West Midlands Combined Authority.
A report produced by Thrive at Work found staff overwhelmingly highlighted that their managers care about their welfare and are supportive of any personal issues or concerns.
All staff surveyed and interviewed felt that the Trust takes positive action on the health and wellbeing of its employees and feel wellbeing is embedded into the Trust, many staff benefiting from the various health and wellbeing campaigns, events and supportive networks available.
Robotic technology at the ROH
As part of the visit, Andy Street learnt more about the robotic technology we use in theatres for joint replacements, trying his hand with a demonstration of ROSA, led by Mr Akash Sharma.
Reducing length of hospital stays through Day Case
Andy also spoke to Clinical Service Improvement Lead, Alicia Stanton, about our JointCare Day Case pathway. The pathway is based on the ‘wellness’ model and enables patients to have their joint replaced and be back at home on the same day.
