University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) completed a merger by acquisition of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) on 1st April 2018. Due to historical differences in data collection/reporting across UHB and the former Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust this response has been provided by hospital site.
1) Please state the number of deaths in service [ie: during employment, but not necessarily on the premises or during working hours] of nursing staff employed by your organisation since 2012. 20 since January 2012. This includes qualified Nurses and Health Care Assistants.
20 since January 2012. This includes qualified Nurses and Health Care Assistants.
2) (i) Please state how many of the total deaths were recorded, known or otherwise suspected to be suicide?
We do not hold this information. In cases where an individual dies whilst still in employment with the Trust, the Trust records this as a death in service. The cause of death is not recorded.
(ii) Please state what the different categories of cause of death were recorded as, for the purposes of the organisation’s own reporting and recording. For example; cancer, heart failure, suicide etc.
As above.
3) Please include copies of any ‘death in service’ procedure or policy the organisation uses.
Please see attached policies Leaver’s Policy PM Exit Procedure – Amended June 2015 – final.
4) Please describe if there is any work in progress to address mental health needs or suicide risk among your nursing workforce, or alternatively where there have been suicides whether there have been any changes in workplace practices as a result?
The Trust has in place an extensive range of wellbeing support for staff for good mental health, including (but not exhaustively listed) fast track counselling services, mindfulness sessions, sports facilities, spiritual wellbeing services, green spaces and green gym, healthy food options, mental wellbeing resources, self-referral Staff Health and Wellbeing Clinic including a mental health assessment, as well as training in stress management and resilience. A Workplace Wellbeing Strategy has been scoped out to be incorporated in to the newly merged Trust’s overall Workforce Strategy which will progress our work further – the workplace wellbeing agenda includes a focus on mental health and is being worked through collaboratively with staff, trade union representatives and management, and includes mental health awareness and promotion, post-trauma mental health interventions and suicide risks and awareness.
