Mapping Greener HealthcareMapping Greener Healthcare

Initial Proposal:

The proposal from Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust aims to complement the current health and wellbeing initiatives in place within the organisation. Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust would like to launch a Staff Pedometer Challenge in order to encourage staff to become more active and less sedentary and walk as an alternative option to travelling on transport to and from work and during business hours.

A staff pedometer challenge would allow pedometers to be distributed to participating staff to record their daily steps in order to make local journeys (usual daily recommendation is 10,000 steps). Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust will also be launching a weekly walking/jogging club, led by one of the Trust’s Health Champions in early 2012 to increase walking activity amongst staff. As our organisation is spread over two boroughs the challenge would have participants from across both Camden and Islington. The staff pedometer challenge and the walking/jogging club aim to increase physical activity levels in staff that currently do little or no exercise with a view to establishing a Trust team to enter the London 5K Your Way event in May/June 2012. Any member of staff joining the staff pedometer challenge and/or walking/jogging club would be required to complete a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ).

The pedometers will be professional grade to ensure reliability and accuracy and will measure steps, distance and calories.

The scheme will look to reduce the reliance on public transport; increase physical activity levels and staff wellbeing; and aim to increase the likelihood of changing behaviour for walking on the staff commute. The scheme will also link to the 2012 London 5K Your Way event and support the NHS ethos to encourage staff to become more physically active in conjunction with the London 2012 Olympics. 

It is not a complicated bid, just a straight forward initiative to get employees more active using the London 2012 Olympics and the London 2012 5K Your Way as motivators.

What Cost?

Purchase of pedometers through an approved and agreed NHS supplier   

100 x £7.95 =£795.00

Advertising and printing costs £0 (internal)

Total: £795.00

Project approach

The Trust Wellbeing and Benefits manager will coordinate the challenge and liaise with the Staff Health Champion regarding the walking and jogging club.

1. Develop staff pedometer challenge administration procedure including the undertaking of employee PARQ checks. Research existing schemes in other Trusts and organisations.

2. Set up and maintain a challenge data base in order to effectively manage the weekly collating of steps recorded and monitor usage.

3. Purchase 100 x H-215 pedometers from an approved supplier. Equipment and prices sought refer to the Pedometer Shop www.pedometershop.co.uk

Monitoring and evaluation of the success will be observed through controls put in place for recording staff total steps. This will likely take the form of a simple diary and will record steps, date, employee and destination. This will inform a 6 month evaluation for the project.