Staff Health & Wellbeing
Staff Health & Wellbeing
This category is looking for a team or organisation that embraces new ways of working and delivering care, across disciplines or boroughs, supported by technology. We are looking to celebrate an organisation that has undertaken a new initiative that has positively impacted individuals, organisation productivity and patient outcomes.
Winners, Runner Up and Highly Commended
Below are the details of the prize winners in this category. Click on the sections below to find out more, and top tips on how you can replicate the winning and highly commended projects in your own practice or care home.
If you would like to contact the nominees about further details of their work, please email neslisan.yilmaz@nhs.net and you will be connected with the project lead.
Barnet PCN2 Workforce Wellbeing Roadshow
The PCN 2 Barnet Health and Wellbeing Team has been nominated for its innovative "Workforce Wellbeing Roadshow," which addresses the mental and physical wellbeing of practice staff across the PCN’s 12 practices. Piloted at Friern Barnet Medical Centre, the programme uses a structured QIP framework to identify workforce challenges, implement tailored interventions, and track improvements through feedback and surveys.
Key initiatives include confidential wellbeing sessions, a health professional support directory, and plans to train Health and Wellbeing Champions at each practice. The project has enhanced communication, leadership support, and workplace culture, fostering team cohesion and improving staff morale. By prioritising staff wellbeing, the programme mitigates burnout, boosts retention, and promotes a compassionate workforce culture that enhances patient care and satisfaction.
Want to replicate this in your setting? Here are some top tips from the nominees:
We have already delivered training at the Pan Barnet meeting sessions on workforce wellbeing QIP and initiatives as well as delivering training to PMs and middle management on the impact of attending to their teams in this way. We are willing to share all blue prints, templates and metrics to empower wider adoption of an initiative we feel is crucial to ongoing sustainability of our staff and services in the NHS. We have entered the RSPH awards submissions with this project for even wider adoption.
Health and Wellbeing Quality Improvement Project
Dr Bhasha Mukherjee has been nominated for her innovative Health and Wellbeing Quality Improvement Project at Bounds Green Group Practice, which targeted key staff concerns such as burnout, low energy, and insufficient breaks, as identified in a health and wellbeing survey.
Dr Mukherjee introduced 20-minute wellbeing breaks featuring activities like staff walks, Zumba classes, chair yoga, laughter therapy, and singing. She also implemented a staff appreciation board where patients shared positive comments, and a kitchen board highlighting weekly staff photos with team compliments. The weekly "dress in green" Friday added a fun, unifying element tied to the practice name.
These initiatives have strengthened team relationships, improved morale, and boosted engagement, enabling the practice to approach projects like Total Triage with renewed energy and collaboration. Dr Mukherjee’s work has also inspired similar efforts in other practices within the PCN.
Want to replicate this in your setting? Here are some top tips from the nominees:
Stakeholder engagement throughout the practice. To get away from the culture of "spending money" on health and wellbeing as most of the ideas/innovations did not require money - it was more about connection between staff and patients or between staff.
Prioritising Well-being for a busy primary care team in Tottenham
Lawrence House Surgery has been nominated for its exceptional commitment to staff wellbeing, addressing challenges faced by its primary care team in Tottenham. In response to concerns about stress, burnout, and workplace conditions, a wellbeing team was formed to create a strategy for improving morale, health, and staff engagement.
Key initiatives include the transformation of a shared space into a vibrant kitchen and lounge with wellbeing features, a breakfast club, and a contemplation/prayer room. Events such as World Food Day, pizza Fridays, and staff social gatherings have strengthened team connections and celebrated diversity. These efforts have created a happier, more cohesive workplace, reducing stress and sickness rates while enhancing engagement and team spirit, making Lawrence House a model for prioritising wellbeing in primary care.
Want to replicate this in your setting? Here are some top tips from the nominees:
Prioritising staff well-being doesn’t have to be a costly exercise, put aside a budget and stick to it. Embed well-being of staff in the practice development plan.