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Leading physiotherapy provider Physio Med has secured two new contracts after being chosen to help improve the health of staff and reduce levels of sickness absence at both Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (SCH) and Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (SHSC).
SCH is one of only four dedicated children’s hospital trusts in the UK. Its 3,000 staff provide integrated healthcare for children and young people, including community and mental health care, while SHSC’s 2,750 staff provide inpatient and residential services for people with learning disabilities or drug and alcohol problems, as well as mental health services for adults and older people.
However, the nature of the services provided mean that many of the job roles are physically demanding, with some staff suffering musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) as a consequence, causing them to be absent from work or to work at reduced levels of productivity.
As a result, Physio Med is now providing both Trusts’ employees with access to a fast-track physiotherapy provision in order to increase productivity. Physio Med has implemented its innovative, and award winning, PAL (Physiotherapy Advice Line) service, which provides all staff members with access to a blended approach of fast-track telephone triage, remote multimedia self-management and face-to-face treatment and advice.
Physio Med was selected by SCH to complement its existing health and wellbeing strategy as a result of its flexible, cost-effective model, and because its UK network of 780 clinics allows SCH’s employees to chose a practice that is convenient for them. SHSC opted for Physio Med after being impressed by the tender it submitted, which convinced SHSC to replace its previous physiotherapy provider.
As well as helping to reduce sickness absence and improve staff wellbeing, the Physio Med service is proven to provide a significant return on investment – as much as 15:1 in some cases - and is therefore expected to deliver valuable cost savings to the Trusts.
Jane Clawson, Deputy Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at SCH, said: “The Physio Med model works well for us financially, and knowing that our staff can get advice over the phone within hours of reporting a problem enables us to deal promptly with instances of absenteeism or presenteeism.”
SHSC’s HR Director, Dean Wilson, said: “Following a rigorous selection process, we chose Physio Med to provide a fast-track staff physiotherapy service. To date, the feedback has been universally positive, with some very impressive turnaround times, and the level of service is outstanding. We are very pleased with the whole introduction of this benefit for staff.”
Phil Clayton, Managing Director at Physio Med, said: “The work that the Trusts do is absolutely vital, so it’s imperative that their employees are able to do their job to the best of their abilities. By providing fast-track access to a physiotherapy service, the Trusts are helping them recover from musculoskeletal injuries quicker and more safely and we’re delighted to be helping ensure the health and wellbeing of their employees.”
