Wirral hospital clinches gold

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded a Gold Ribbon accreditation by the NHS (2012) Sport and Physical Activity Challenge for its commitment to improving staff health and wellbeing.

Inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Sir David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive, challenged the NHS to use the inspirational power of the 2012 Games to get its employees actively engaged in sport or physical activity as part of, or associated with, their NHS employment, by the start of the Olympics in July.

The Trust's response to the Challenge was Fitter for Health, a programme designed to support and encourage its staff to take part in a regular sport or physical activity.

As a health promoting hospital, the Trust has made Fitter for Health central to its Health and Wellbeing Strategy so that fitness and physical activity will be mainstream within the organisation rather than a limited period campaign.

It followed a social marketing approach to encourage long term behaviour change among its staff, starting with research to identify perceived barriers to activity and the triggers that might encourage uptake. Time and opportunity appeared to be the principal barriers and the Trust resolved to provide a variety of opportunities, rather than focus on one major sport.

Hundreds of Trust staff have made a personal pledge to increase their physical activity levels. A second major health and wellbeing event, Treating Yourself Well Day, will be held in July for staff and their families and a number of activities have been introduced in the workplace, including zumba, pilates, golf and indoor and outdoor marked walks of the Trust’s two main hospital sites that can be easily completed during break times during the working day.

Members of the Trust’s Board of Directors have competed with colleagues across the organisation during ‘Beat the Board’ pedometer challenges.

And a Fitter for Health staff award was introduced as part of the Trust’s annual awards event that recognised an individual's own efforts to improve their physical fitness, but also their efforts to involve and motivate others.

Its first winner was Bethan McGuigan an A&E Consultant, who kick started her health and fitness programme with the help of the NHS Couch to 5K ‘phone app. Bethan's contribution to encouraging others was also recognised by the Olympic Torchbearers selection panel and she will be carrying the torch for NHS staff in her local area on 30th May.


The NHS Challenge judging panel considered that the Trust’s application for Gold accreditation demonstrated:

• the innovative nature of the campaign


• the sustainability of the initiative


• the Trust’s commitment to supporting the NHS Challenge agenda


• evidence of senior management leadership, and


• use of social marketing techniques and staff engagement in determining the type of activities on offer

Sue Green, Director of HR and Organisational Development at the Trust, said: “To be awarded with a Gold accreditation is a tremendous achievement. Fitter for Health has truly engaged our staff and colleagues are continuing to encourage each other to get involved and try out new activities that will not only get us fitter but also help set a positive example to our patients.”

Photo caption: The start of the 2012 metre run at Clatterbridge Hospital as part of Wirral University Teaching Hospital's first Treating Yourself Well Day in July 2011.