An independent panel of government advisers has recommended that the effectiveness of NHS managers and leaders in supporting the mental and physical health and wellbeing of their staff be included as a key element of their performance appraisals.
The recommendation, which has been accepted by the Government, was made in January by the independent NHS Future Forum.
The report suggested the implementation of the Boorman review of NHS health and wellbeing in 2009 – something that the NHS has been working towards – as well as using public health guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and Public Health Responsibility Deal pledges.
The report argued that the NHS should be “developing managers and leaders to support the mental and physical health and wellbeing of staf, and holding managers and leaders to account for doing so in their performance appraisals”.
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The forum said that NHS organisations should design and implement strategies for improving staff mental and physical health and wellbeing, adding that they should report annually on their progress against this strategy.
It also suggested that healthcare professionals be asked to include healthy-living advice when speaking to patients and that employers get a greater say in developing workplace health initiatives.
