Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the recommendations of the Boorman Review of NHS health and well-being services have been implemented; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the recommendations on the provision of such services by the NHS.

National Health Service organisations are responsible for improving the health and wellbeing of their staff. Progress has been made on implementing the Boorman[1] recommendations as indicated by falling sickness absence rates[2] from 4.48% at the time of the Boorman Review to 4.15% in the year to October 2014 and the Royal College of Physicians[3] reporting last year that NHS trusts are beginning to prioritise staff health and wellbeing with progress made since their previous audit in 2011.

Our assessment of the effect of the recommendations on the provision of such services by the NHS is that there is no room for complacency and many trusts have more to do. Therefore, we continue to commission NHS Employers to support NHS organisations in improving the health and wellbeing of their staff.

[1]http://www.nhshealthandwellbeing.org/pdfs/NHS%20Staff%20H&WB%20Review%20Final%20Report%20VFinal%2020-11-09.pdf

[2] NHS Sickness Absence rates (Health and Social Care Information Centre).

[3]http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/staff-experience/health-work-and-wellbeing/keeping-staff-well/implementing-nice-guidance-for-the-nhs-workplace-a-national-audit.