Working Together for the Wellbeing of Everyone

Alison Wilkinson, United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust (ULHT) Physiotherapist and Personalisation Champion (below left) shares a quick update on the physiotherapy offer for staff and provides examples of how she and her colleagues are bringing Our Shared Agreement to life.

So, today was a bit different!  Instead of treating patients in the physiotherapy clinic, a couple of colleagues and I went out and about around the hospital to promote physiotherapy and what we offer to improve both patient and staff wellbeing. This is a great example of Our Shared Agreement: Foundation 1: Being prepared to do things differently and Our Shared Agreement Foundation 3: Working together for the wellbeing of everyone.

Staff across the Trust can refer themselves for physiotherapy, but many that we spoke to were unaware of how to do this.

Of those that do self-refer, we noticed that many have lower back pain. Lower back pain was World Physiotherapy Day’s focus for 2024 and the campaign was keen to bust some of the myths around this form of pain, as well as sharing what helps us to manage it.

But why stop at a tour of the hospital? We also set up an information stand to promote joint health using the Versus Arthritis resources and to educate people about physiotherapy - how it works and how it can be used to treat a range of conditions. 

Over a busy lunchtime, we spoke to lots of people during our time outside the canteen (a prime position to capture an audience of both the public and staff) and shared where to find us on the ULHT Facebook together page. 

So, if you're struggling with any kind of musculoskeletal pain and would like some help to manage it, get in touch! And a big thank you to all those who took the time to stop and see us! 

If you and your department are demonstrating the Five Foundations of Our Shared Agreement, get in touch with the It's All About People Team and we'll proudly feature your work! We're passionate about sharing good news and the positive work taking place to create a better relationship with the people of Lincolnshire, so contact us at lhnt.itsallaboutpeople@nhs.net