The implications of Britain's ageing NHS workforce

Case study: Mrs S

Mrs S was a 58-year-old staff nurse who had been working for an NHS trust for 15 years. She was working full time in theatres and her shift pattern included night duty once every six weeks. She had recently been having some tests to establish whether or not she had diabetes.

She had requested an appointment with her OH adviser following a women's health promotion day that the OH department had run. Her attendance record was good, but she was getting worried about her ability to cope. Her elderly mother was also making increasing demands on her time.

Mrs S was upset on her initial visit; she was distressed at the possibility of a diagnosis of diabetes and was also concerned about her weight, her current body mass index being 42. The risk of developing chronic disease increases with age, and obesity increases this risk. Mrs S was very stressed regarding her mother and felt that she would be unable to cope for much longer balancing her work with her commitments at home.

During the visit, Mrs S informed the OH adviser that she was awaiting an appointment to see a consultant and a dietician. The trust has a policy for "fast tracking" staff working within the hospital and this service was offered and implemented, bringing her appointment forward by a month. This system helps to reduce sickness absence among staff, helps to get people back to work quicker and is cost effective.

The OH department also implements a lifestyle programme as part of its health and wellbeing initiative. It was suggested that Mrs S discuss this when she attended her appointment with the dietician. This programme is designed to help clients address lifestyle problems, such as weight or exercise issues.

The programme was created through the OH department working closely with healthcare professionals from other disciplines, such as the dietetics, cardiology, physiotherapy and diabetes services. The programme is free to trust staff and is available on a one-to-one or a small group basis.

Mrs S was finding full-time working difficult because of her mother's demands, especially at night. It was suggested that she discuss these problems with her manager to explore the possibility of working modified hours, including no night duties, until she had made suitable arrangements for her mother's care. She had been in touch with social services and was waiting for an assessment and care package for her mother.

It is important to look at a person's workability and utilising this rather than negatively considering what they cannot do. Mrs S did not want to take absence from work but did require some adjustments to allow her to stay at work, which could be achieved through flexible working.

The trust also offers a counselling service under an employee assistance programme. This was explained to Mrs S and she was given details of this service and the procedure for contacting it if she wished to pursue this option.

By working together with Mrs S, her manager and other healthcare professionals, it was possible for the OH service to help keep Mrs S at work, which is better for her own health and beneficial to the trust as a positive outcome.