• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

NHS weightloss payments to staff

Has anybody in any other workplace been offered any guidance on health or losing weight? I'm self employed. So perhaps it's just me feeling that I have to look. after myself without any sick pay etc and just see it as a pretty unfair world??
 
donnellysdogs said:
From Pulse today.... But can't get to copy the link to it... Sorry

NHS England is set to introduce incentives for losing weight as part of plans to reduce sickness absence in the workforce, it has revealed.

As part of its new five-year plan, NHS England said it will ‘measure staff health and wellbeing’ and introduce ‘voluntary work-based weight watching and health schemes’.

It said the schemes it was planning to use were proven to ‘achieve sustaintable weight loss in more than a third of those who take part’.

NHS England will also ‘cut access to unhealthy products on NHS premises, implementing food standards, and providing healthy options for night staff’, it said, and support ‘active travel’ schemes for staff and visitors.

The plan said: ‘While three-quarters of NHS trusts say they offer staff help to quit smoking, only about a third offer them support in keeping to a healthy weight. Three-quarters of hospitals do not offer healthy food to staff working night shifts. It has previously been estimated the NHS could reduce its overall sickness rate by a third – the equivalent of adding almost 15,000 staff and 3.3 million working days at a cost saving of £550m.’

In addition, NHS England intends to speak to large employers about also incentivising healthy living, chief executive Simon Stevens said. Probed further, he said incentives may include shopping vouchers, for example.

Mr Stevens said: ‘Employers in many countries have developed voluntary schemes for their employees whereby, for example, you actually get cash back based on participation in Weight Watchers or other types of schemes.’

‘There are quite a lot of international programmes where research has shown they worked well and they have generally been ignored in this country so far.’
Click to expand...
Wow !!
Let us all hope that the newly healthy living food also reaches the patients, and that we are offered "proper" food for our diets.
 
There are very few hospitals that cater for staff as most of them have demolished their kitchens and food for patients arrives chilled from a contractor.
Most staff bring their own food in and some don't bother to eat at work. They make do with a drink and a couple of biscuits as breaks are often interrupted by emergencies. It is not unusual to have to forgo your break if things are hectic
Our local General Hospital only has a Costa outlet and that is closed at night.
 
donnellysdogs said:
Just wondering what forum members think to the NHS staff being given payments to incentivise them to lose weight?

My thoughts are:

Why?

Can't they just take the advice from their NHS dieticians?

I have to pay for everything a self employed person, so why can't they?

Am I just mean?
Click to expand...
Cool down, I am self employed too though not in Britain.

Of course they will need to find ways to make the ****** NHS weight loss and equally ****** eat well plate diet advice look good. They are loosing the battle, don't be too hard on them.
 
Alanp35 said:
Wow !!
Let us all hope that the newly healthy living food also reaches the patients, and that we are offered "proper" food for our diets.
Click to expand...

Aaaaah,but it depends what NHS England classifies as "proper" food. After reading the "big fat surprise" book I don't think I could follow any advice from the govt led advisers!!
 
donnellysdogs said:
Aaaaah,but it depends what NHS England classifies as "proper" food. After reading the "big fat surprise" book I don't think I could follow any advice from the govt led advisers!!
Click to expand...
No of course not.

Nor could I after finding dietdoctor.com and all the info and links there. You are soo right DD.
 
donnellysdogs said:
Aaaaah,but it depends what NHS England classifies as "proper" food. After reading the "big fat surprise" book I don't think I could follow any advice from the govt led advisers!!
Click to expand...
Or any other thinking person with diabetes who has a modicum of respect for their own health and ongoing preservation of that health. But, it does give us another slant on the desperate nature of the problem.
 
Yet another lets bash the NHS over the diet advice they give!!

Quite frankly I am sick of these threads on here, I think the NHS is fantastic, it has saved my life on more than one occasion so can we please stop these ridiculous NHS bashing threads just because they dont recommend the diet that some of you would like them too.

They may be underfunded by government but that is not their fault and no where in that Pulse article does it say that the NHS is going to make payments to their staff, which you wrongly state in the threads title.

All it says is and I use your quote to throw back at you

donnellysdogs said:
In addition, NHS England intends to speak to large employers about also incentivising healthy living, chief executive Simon Stevens said. Probed further, he said incentives may include shopping vouchers, for example.

Mr Stevens said: ‘Employers in many countries have developed voluntary schemes for their employees whereby, for example, you actually get cash back based on participation in Weight Watchers or other types of schemes.’

‘There are quite a lot of international programmes where research has shown they worked well and they have generally been ignored in this country so far.’
Click to expand...

I cant see why you are misinterpreting what one employee of the NHS has said and are pretending that they have said they are going to pay their employees to lose weight, its absolute rubbish.
 
If people read the whole report then you will see what is actually being said. (Even Pulse can mislead)

BOX 2.1: A HEALTHIER NHS WORKPLACE

While three quarters of NHS trusts say they offer staff help to quit smoking, only about a third offer them support in keeping to a healthy weight. Three quarters of hospitals do not offer healthy food to staff working night shifts. It has previously been estimated the NHS could reduce its overall sickness rate by a third – the equivalent of adding almost 15,000 staff and 3.3 million working days at a cost saving of £550m. So among other initiatives we will: ● Cut access to unhealthy products on NHS premises, implementing food standards, and providing healthy options for night staff. ● Measure staff health and wellbeing, and introduce voluntary work-based weight watching and health schemes which international studies have shown achieve sustainable weight loss in more than a third of those who take part. ● Support “active travel” schemes for staff and visitors. ● Promote the Workplace Wellbeing Charter, the Global Corporate Challenge and the TUC’s Better Health and Work initiative, and ensure NICE guidance on promoting healthy workplaces is implemented, particularly for mental health. ● Review with the Faculty of Occupational Medicine the strengthening of occupational health.
NHS. % Year Forward View.
http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5yfv-web.pdf

People who have never had a weight problem can be very unforgiving about other people's weight problems and will find it difficult to understand why people are overweight.
Fatism needs addressing as well as obesity and this forum can give many examples of how members are affected by the stereotyping.

http://www.yourcanterbury.co.uk/news/fatism_the_last_acceptable_prejudice_1_3659828
 
Scandichic said:
will post some cartoons especially for you! Hugs!
Click to expand...
Looking forward to it lol xxx tc have a nice break ...@Scandichic have you got a a nice desert recepie one I can put in oven .....
I have a mixture of flours including low carb ones ...;) cheers x
 
Sid Bonkers said:
Yet another lets bash the NHS over the diet advice they give!!

Quite frankly I am sick of these threads on here, I think the NHS is fantastic, it has saved my life on more than one occasion so can we please stop these ridiculous NHS bashing threads just because they dont recommend the diet that some of you would like them too.

They may be underfunded by government but that is not their fault and no where in that Pulse article does it say that the NHS is going to make payments to their staff, which you wrongly state in the threads title.

All it says is and I use your quote to throw back at you



I cant see why you are misinterpreting what one employee of the NHS has said and are pretending that they have said they are going to pay their employees to lose weight, its absolute rubbish.
Click to expand...
Need to tackle the stress levels first ...maybe ....
 
catherinecherub said:
There are very few hospitals that cater for staff as most of them have demolished their kitchens and food for patients arrives chilled from a contractor.
Most staff bring their own food in and some don't bother to eat at work. They make do with a drink and a couple of biscuits as breaks are often interrupted by emergencies. It is not unusual to have to forgo your break if things are hectic
Our local General Hospital only has a Costa outlet and that is closed at night.
Click to expand...
Could not agree more ....
 
donnellysdogs said:
From Pulse today.... But can't get to copy the link to it... Sorry

NHS England is set to introduce incentives for losing weight as part of plans to reduce sickness absence in the workforce, it has revealed.

As part of its new five-year plan, NHS England said it will ‘measure staff health and wellbeing’ and introduce ‘voluntary work-based weight watching and health schemes’.

It said the schemes it was planning to use were proven to ‘achieve sustaintable weight loss in more than a third of those who take part’.

NHS England will also ‘cut access to unhealthy products on NHS premises, implementing food standards, and providing healthy options for night staff’, it said, and support ‘active travel’ schemes for staff and visitors.

The plan said: ‘While three-quarters of NHS trusts say they offer staff help to quit smoking, only about a third offer them support in keeping to a healthy weight. Three-quarters of hospitals do not offer healthy food to staff working night shifts. It has previously been estimated the NHS could reduce its overall sickness rate by a third – the equivalent of adding almost 15,000 staff and 3.3 million working days at a cost saving of £550m.’

In addition, NHS England intends to speak to large employers about also incentivising healthy living, chief executive Simon Stevens said. Probed further, he said incentives may include shopping vouchers, for example.

Mr Stevens said: ‘Employers in many countries have developed voluntary schemes for their employees whereby, for example, you actually get cash back based on participation in Weight Watchers or other types of schemes.’

‘There are quite a lot of international programmes where research has shown they worked well and they have generally been ignored in this country so far.’
Click to expand...

NHS England set to introduce weight loss incentive schemes for NHS staff | News Article | Pulse Today
 
Don't agree that there should be cash incentives, however free gym membership or free admittance to swimming pools and other activities certainly would go a long way to get people motivated, active and hopefully lose weight. Also free membership to Slimming Clubs could also be an option to consider.

I know some will say that it's unfair as they have to pay for these activities.
 
noblehead said:
Don't agree that there should be cash incentives, however free gym membership or free admittance to swimming pools and other activities certainly would go a long way to get people motivated, active and hopefully lose weight. Also free membership to Slimming Clubs could also be an option to consider.

I know some will say that it's unfair as they have to pay for these activities.
Click to expand...
Some of these exercise options were in place for those over 60 years who wished to use local swimming pools, etc, but this was withdrawn some 2/3 years ago by the current government as being too expensive, which leads me on to prompt the question as to "where is the money coming from to fund this" when they previously could not fund over 60s exercise ?
 
Alanp35 said:
Some of these exercise options were in place for those over 60 years who wished to use local swimming pools, etc, but this was withdrawn some 2/3 years ago by the current government as being too expensive, which leads me on to prompt the question as to "where is the money coming from to fund this" when they previously could not fund over 60s exercise ?
Click to expand...

Good question Alan and one I don't have the answer to.
 
It may save the employer , so ultimately the taxpayer money That's sensible in my book.
From the US but probably still relevant
Example - Employee Health Concern: Obesity
  • Obese employees experience higher levels of absenteeism due to illness than normal weight employees35
  • Normal-weight men miss an average of 3.0 days each year due to illness or injury
  • In comparison, overweight and obese men (BMI 25-35), miss approximately 2 more work days per year than normal-weight men, a 56% increase in missed days
  • Normal-weight women miss an average of 3.4 days each year due to illness or injury
  • In comparison, overweight women miss 3.9 days, a 15% increase in missed days; obese women (BMI greater than 30) miss 5.2 days, a 53% increase in missed days; and women with a BMI of 40 or higher miss 8.2 days, a 141% increase in missed days, almost one week more of missed work each year than normal-weight http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/businesscase/benefits/productivity.html
 
Back
Top