RUH launches staff Festival of Health and Wellbeing with a hearty breakfast

Hundreds of staff at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust got their day off to the best possible start today (Tuesday 24 September) coming together for a free hearty breakfast.

The popular event launched the hospital's week-long Festival of Health and Wellbeing, highlighting the ways the RUH supports staff to look after themselves physically and mentally. The annual festival showcases the wide range of activities and facilities on offer at the Trust all year round, including exercise classes, mindfulness sessions and access to mental health support.

The free meal was generously donated by the Rapid Relief Team, a volunteer-run organisation that provides on the ground catering support at major incidents such as natural disasters, at charity events, and in support of community needs such as homelessness. The team also use their resources to say 'thank you' to NHS and emergency services for going above and beyond in serving those in need in the community, with events like the staff breakfast, as well as supporting the RUH's The Forever Friends Appeal charity too.

Director for People Claire Radley said: "They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we're really grateful for the Rapid Relief Team's hard work and generosity to give us a tasty reminder of that. It was the perfect start to our Festival of Health and Wellbeing.

"Our staff work hard to look after our patients and their families, providing the highest quality of care – and that's all staff, not just those in frontline roles. It's important for us to encourage staff to take the time to care for themselves too. That includes having a good breakfast before work but there are lots of other things we offer all year round.

"We're proud of our on-site activities including our couch to 5k running club, healthy food options and free access to a staff counselling service to name just a few. The festival is our annual opportunity to celebrate these.

"Working for the NHS is a really rewarding career, but it can be tough at times too. We're really passionate about offering our staff opportunities like these, to support them in taking care of their physical and mental health and wellbeing. It's part of what makes the RUH a great place to work and helps our staff to flourish."

Chippenham RRT team leader James van As said: "It has been a great privilege for the Rapid Relief Team volunteers, who are also members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, to be able to work together to provide the staff breakfast here at the RUH. Many of us have seen first-hand the devotion, compassion and dedication of these staff in our own lives and we are glad to be able to give something back to those who work tirelessly, caring for people in need in the community."

ENDS

Notes to Editor

• The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire. The hospital provides healthcare to the population served by four Clinical Commissioning Groups: Bath & North East Somerset CCG, Wiltshire CCG, Somerset CCG and South Gloucestershire CCG.
• The Trust has 759 beds and a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
• In 2015 The Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acquired the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust. The RNHRD treats patients from across the country offering services in rheumatology, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, cancer related fatigue and fatigue linked to other long term conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust has opened the purpose-built RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre and is now working towards the new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future

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