Who is OHSxtra for?
If you are an NHS employee in one of the participating areas, whose ability to work is hindered by an ongoing health or welfare problem, or you feel that there are reasons that may cause you to be unable to carry out your job in the future, OHSxtra is here to help you.
You may be suffering from difficulties coping with your job, stress outside work, or a chronic health problem such as arthritis or a slipped disc. If so, OHSxtra can help you gain rapid access to a range of additional services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health support and access to occupational health nurses and physicians.
How does it work?
OHSxtra is a pro-active service that will support staff by providing a dedicated professional to manage their case; if required, it will also provide rapid access to a dedicated network of services, which could include physiotherapy, occupational therapy and mental health support.
Each person accessing this service will be provided with a dedicated professional within the occupational health team who will manage their case by dealing with issues related to health and employment. They will help find the right treatment, guide the individual through their recovery, and help them get back to work if they are absent.
If you use the OHSxtra service you will undergo an initial assessment to help your professional identify what support you may require; you will formulate an action plan with them concerning the services and resources that will help you.
If appropriate, you will receive an agreed number of sessions with the relevant specialists over a short period of time, and your progress will be reviewed by your dedicated professional.
Where appropriate and only with your consent, your professional will liaise with your line manager to determine what can be done to facilitate a return to work or to improve your work situation. They will also liaise with those people who will be able to help you (such as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, mental health professional, or your GP).
If required, there may be case conferences between your professional and all those people involved in your situation/ return to work.
Once you have received the support you will have a final assessment to identify how the programme has helped you.
If you have been absent, once you are back at work, your professional will follow up with you and your line manager to check that any changes that have been made are working.
Who will benefit?
OHSxtra will have a positive impact on the health, welfare and well-being of the NHS workforce.
It will also have the knock-on benefit of improving the quality, safety and consistency of patient care, thus benefiting every person who uses the NHS.
NHS Employees
If you are an NHS employee whose ability to work is hindered by an ongoing health or welfare problem, or you feel that there are reasons that may cause you to be unable to carry out your job in the future, OHSxtra can help you.
OHSxtra is designed to help you get well and get back to work. If you use this service you will have access to a range of services and treatments that will help you get back to work, and could improve your life both at work and outside of it.
NHS Employers
By using OHSxtra the NHS will benefit from:
- the retention of staff with specialist skills
- improved staff morale and a team that works together better
- better continuity of care, resulting in better patient care
- a reduction in waiting times/admissions
- lower recruitment and training costs
- a reduction in the need for agency staff to cover absence
- a healthier, happier workforce
NHS Patients
If more NHS staff are fit and able to work it will have many positive influences on the standard of care that the NHS can offer to its patients.
OHSxtra will help the NHS retain trained and skilled staff, meaning patients will receive better treatment.
The retention of trained staff will also save the NHS money that would otherwise be spent on the recruitment and training of new staff and agency nurses to cover sickness absence. The money saved can be spent improving patient care still further.
Research shows that making occupational health provisions will increase an organisation’s productivity. Real headway can be made in reducing waiting lists by ensuring that more NHS employees are fit and able to work
The case management model
The professional who is managing you case will be working as part of the occupational health team within your Health Board.
They are trained to deal with issues relating to health and employment, and will carry out an assessment to identify the problem areas that are contributing to your work-related difficulties or that could form a possible obstacle to your return to work.
The dedicated professional will help NHS staff to access services that will support them in their health problem. They will also liaise with line managers and HR departments if there are any workplace issues that are affecting your health and wellbeing.
The dedicated professional will:
- listen to you
- provide advice and information
- provide access to services
- work with you and your managers to help you in your job
- help to facilitate good communication among all parties
- support you throughout the process, including the return to work
- help you return to work after sickness absence or
- help you remain in NHS work
- tailor the service to suit your needs