Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 18 May 2024 at 11:54
This week I would like to talk about what we are doing for you, across the Trust, to recognise your efforts, look after your health and wellbeing and make some of our HR processes more efficient.
Over the past year, we have developed our wellbeing offering and our Health and Wellbeing Team are continuing work to extend the services and provisions available for all of our staff and volunteers. We currently have 63 Wellbeing Champions across the Trust and are still recruiting. If you would like to find out more about becoming a Wellbeing Champion, please contact the Wellbeing Team.
The Headspace App is still free for EEAST staff to access and 602 staff have taken up the offer so far. This app is designed to encourage mindfulness and self-care activities and feedback from staff has been really positive. You can find out more on Need to Know, or download the free app here. NHS Staff have also been offered a 3-month free trial of Joe Wick’s app, which includes food plans, exercise videos and more. Find out more information and access the free trial here.
Paperless payslips
As we’ve mentioned previously, both in this message and on Need to Know, payslips are going digital from next month. From April onwards, payslips will only be available via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Self Service Portal. ESR allows you to instantly view and download all your past and current payslips, view your Total Rewards pension statement, update your personal data and download your P60.
We want this to be a smooth transition for everyone, and really appreciate your support in making this happen. Over the past few weeks, we have seen an encouraging number of people accessing the portal in the past months. However, if you aren’t already using ESR, please log in and start doing so to familiarise yourself with how you access your payslip. Please note that the first time log in MUST be on a Trust computer, not from an iPad.
You can find more about accessing ESR Self Service Hub here. Please see Need to Know for further details about paperless payslips.
A summer of celebration
With the clocks going forward last weekend, I’m sure many of us are starting to think about the lighter nights and warmer weather that summer brings. From an EEAST, and wider NHS perspective we have much to celebrate in the coming months.
We kick off in May with events across the country to mark the King’s Coronation, on the Bank Holiday Monday, 8th May, we’ll be getting involved in the Big Help Out, an initiative to mark the coronation and encourage volunteering people to get involved in volunteering opportunities in their local area. Our Volunteer and Public Engagement teams are currently working to make sure we are as well-represented as possible at local events, to make the most of this occasion and encourage more members of the community to consider volunteering for the Trust.
At the beginning of July, we will be holding our annual Staff Awards ceremony, Stars of EEAST. Details are being finalised for the event itself but I can confirm that the event will be held during the first full week of July at a venue in Cambridgeshire and will combine both our Long Service and our Special Recognition Awards. You can find more details about the Special Recognition Awards and how to nominate a colleague or team here. We are currently compiling the list of recipients for the Long Service Awards, sometimes there are some people who may not be flagged up so if you think you should receive a Long Service Award this year then please email awards@eastamb.nhs.uk so that your name can be checked.
The start of July is also a big birthday for the NHS, turning 75 on 5th July. NHSE are currently pulling together the final plans for a series of commemorative events up and down the country to mark the occasion and we will share further details of those with you as and when we receive them.
EEAST Engagement Sessions
As a Trust we want to give everyone the opportunity to get involved in our key areas for improvement and development, and this is particularly true over the next few weeks as we anticipate a CQC inspection.
To encourage more people to get involved, we are running a series of engagement sessions focusing on a number of different areas of the organisation, from Communications and Culture through to Governance and Inclusivity. The sessions are an opportunity to hear about our progress in these areas and share your own views and suggestions. You can find out more or sign up here.
Local election guidance
Local Elections in England are taking place at the beginning of May, and as a result we have now entered into a Pre-Election Period, as laid out in the NHS guideline. This means that, as NHS employees, we all need to be cautious of our interactions with MPs, Councillors and local campaigns, as our activities must not influence any campaigning. Details of any visits should be sent to the Public Affairs Team. You can find more information about the Pre-Election Period and the full NHS guidelines here.
Thank You Thursday
This week’s Thank You comes from a patient in West Suffolk.
The ambulance team made me feel at ease. They were happy and chatty to me all the way to the hospital and worked on me all the way there until I was transferred to the medical team at the hospital bed. I know it might seem like this is their job but they went above and beyond to help me.
Thank you for all that you are doing, be kind.
Marika Stephenson
Executive Director of People Services
Important News and Updates
Published 30th March 2023