Hospital workers could be paid to go for walks under radical new plans

The plan, which Sandwell NHS chiefs have admitted could be controversial, has been included among a raft of measures aimed at getting the workforce more active and promoting a healthy message to patients.

Bosses at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General, have previously spoken about the importance of tackling obesity and associated illnesses which place a burden on the health service. People with such illnesses are also less likely to survive Covid-19, placing extra importance on the need for action.

And it can be revealed that the trust is considering introducing "paid walking-time pilots" to encourage staff to keep active while on the job.

Trust chief executive Toby Lewis appears to be cautious about the move, however, telling a recent meeting "the plan to pay people for going for walks would be controversial and could attract negative media comment".

Other measures to encourage people to become more healthy include the introduction of cycling and e-scooter offer, giving staff tracking equipment and launching sports clubs and competitions each month.

Discussions are also being held with the borough council about extending a cycle lane to the new Midland Metropolitan Hospital, which is due to open in 2022. The trust banned smoking in hospital grounds last year.

Recovery

The campaign is due to be launched this month, a new trust board report revealed.

It said: "Ruth Wilkin (director of communications) stated that the campaign would now be launched in August 2020 and commented that healthy weight fitted with the trust’s restoration and recovery plan and the overall wellbeing agenda, i.e. how staff were feeling mentally and physically and how the trust could support them.

"In addition, data from Covid-19 patients had indicated that diabetes, hypertension were contributing factors for poorer outcomes."

Mr Lewis, who has since taken time away from the trust due to ill health, told the meeting the trust "had to take the campaign seriously and avoid tokenism".

He last year declared an "obesity emergency" in Sandwell, prompting action that has led to the current campaign. Children in Sandwell and Wolverhampton are some of the fattest in the UK.