NHS Highland says it’s determined to support members of staff who want to get more physically active.
The health board is urging all its employees to take part in a physical activity and active travel survey, with a view to determining what they do to get fit, how they can be helped to do more and how they travel to work.
The board’s staff survey follows the success of an ongoing NHS Highland initiative called ‘Beware of the Chair’, in which employees are being urged through a series of short, fun presentations to be more active while they are at work.
Among the suggestions mooted in the campaign, which was recently shortlisted in the ‘best in-house health campaign’ category of NHSScotland’s annual communications awards, are holding standing meetings, standing up three times every hour, going for a walk at lunchtime and standing up when on the phone, having a coffee or eating lunch.
NHS Highland health improvement specialist Dan Jenkins said the new survey was intended to support people’s health at whatever level of movement they could achieve.
“Our staff are our most valuable asset and their health and wellbeing is vitally important to us,” he said.
“Our key message is that any form and amount of physical activity and body movement is better than none. Hopefully, the survey and the information we are directing staff towards can help our employees to increase that movement and improve all aspects of their health.”
He said the survey would allow the board to monitor staff physical activity and active travel levels, increase awareness of the benefits of being active and identify, develop and promote physical activity opportunities.
The results of the survey will be collated and analysed with the help of the board’s epidemiology and health sciences team.
