Supporting staff
Our support for the Royal Free London workforce enables staff to perform at their very best, so they can achieve the best outcomes for patients.
Health and wellbeing
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are there for our staff members across all our hospitals, where and when they need us. From the safety net of mental health first aid to a crisis hotline for staff experiencing psychological distress, we’ve funded a raft of measures supporting mental and physical well-being.
Grants totalling more than £2m over the last two and a half years include support for:
● virtual reality technology to overcome anxiety, stress and burnout. In pilot tests, staff have taken part in a range of immersive experiences using simulator headsets, including drumming sessions, beach walks and deep-sea diving. Initial feedback shows they report feeling calmer, less anxious and more relaxed after taking part in a VR therapy.
● mental health first aiders – an initial response to distress in the workplace for staff experiencing issues affecting their mental wellbeing including depression, anxiety, bullying, bereavement and financial worries.
● The resilience and emotional support for teams (REST) programme – a linchpin of support for hospital colleagues, offering face to-face emotional help to frontline teams.
● Flourish@TheFree – designed by staff for staff, this initiative is focused on creating an inclusive health and wellbeing programme specifically for colleagues in NHS bands 1 – 5.
● Rest spaces and wobble rooms where frontline staff can have respite from the pressure and emotional strain of their busy shifts.
Services
As well as grants funding, we support staff through the delivery of a range of services, including:
● Clinical massage from our complementary therapy team – as well as the general wellbeing, clinical massage is of particular benefit for staff at risk of repetitive strain injury due to their nature of their role.
● Lower blood pressure, increased feel-good hormones and reduced stress are just some of benefits for staff who spend time with our Pets as Therapy dogs in our drop-in sessions.
● Our volunteers in the chaplaincy-spiritual care team offer spiritual and pastoral care to staff are here for everyone, of all faiths and none.
● All staff can benefit from heavily-discounted NHS membership rates at our Rec Club, situated beside the Royal Free Hospital, where they can access a gym, pool, classes and fitness room.
Celebrating excellence
We’re proud to be the official sponsor of the annual staff awards, the Oscars, ensuring that the excellent contributions of staff are recognised and celebrated.
