Workplace health and safety standards (NHS Staff Council's Health Safety and Wellbeing Partnership Group, updated August 2023) 2013)

Summary

The management of occupational health, safety and wellbeing is now central to the effective running of the NHS. There is strong evidence linking patient safety, patient experiences and the quality of care with the safety, health and wellbeing of the workforce. The Boorman review into the health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce clearly illustrates this link. However, looking after the health and wellbeing of staff is far more than supporting staff to develop health lifestyles: there is a legal duty to protect the health and safety of staff as detailed in the NHS Constitution.

The NHS Staff Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Partnership Group (HSWPG) have developed these standards through national partnership working to support NHS organisations in meeting their legal duties to protect staff from injury and illness.