Partnership provides specialist healthcare to support wellbeing at Virgin Money
October 1, 2016
The health and wellbeing of Virgin Money colleagues is in safe hands – thanks to our partnership with Newcastle-based independent medical services provider Newcastle Premier Health.
Left to right: Neeraj Nayyar (Managing Director, Physiotherapy Matters), Allison Brown (Senior Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy Matters), Joe Elliott (Health & Safety Manager, Virgin Money), Deb Kelly (Occupational Health Advisor, Newcastle Premier Health) and Mark Philpott (Business Director, Newcastle Premier Health).
Our practitioners and occupational health specialists – including a doctor and nurse – from Newcastle Premier Health, are working alongside Virgin Money’s managers at its Newcastle headquarters in an initiative that takes a holistic approach to staff care.
The multi-disciplinary initiative aims to help improve the physical and mental wellbeing of staff, support people with long term problems to remain in productive employment, shorten absence times or prevent absence from work, and reintegrate staff members into the workplace following periods of sick leave.
The collaborative model is also designed to improve the way that managers request occupational health support and increase the level of communication between managers and physiotherapists and occupational health professionals.
Through this approach, Virgin Money’s managers are able to discuss their specific needs, plan more effectively for long term absence, understand the rationale behind phased returns to work and provide recommendations for work place adjustments.
In addition to dealing with referrals, the partnership offers regular ‘drop-in’ sessions for Virgin Money employees, plus a telephone triage service.
We have also created a range of online webinars videos to support Virgin Money’s employees in being healthier in the workplace. The online resources focus on issues such as preventing tension headaches, repetitive strain injury and back problems, and include health tips and demonstrations of desk-based exercises. This has also enabled Virgin Money employees in other sites in the UK, including London, Edinburgh, Norwich and Chester, to access the same specialist advice and wellbeing support provided to staff at the Newcastle office.
Neeraj Nayyar, Managing Director of Physiotherapy Matters, said:
“It is a pleasure to work with the team at Virgin Money, who have embraced a collaborative approach to occupational health and staff wellbeing which will have lasting benefits for both individuals and the workforce as a whole.
“There is a great deal of synergy between Physiotherapy Matters and Newcastle Premier Health and we believe that our complementary services and expertise can be hugely beneficial to companies large and small – especially when working hand in hand with managers and team leaders.”
Mark Philpott, Business Director at Newcastle Premier Health, said:
“By working so closely with managers at Virgin Money, we feel embedded into the company’s culture and understand the needs of both employer and employees, and this leads to better management of employees’ health and wellbeing.
“This initiative also demonstrates the strength of collaborative working, where our respective areas of expertise are combined to create a holistic health services package.”
Adrienne Edwardson, Senior Health & Safety Advisor at Virgin Money, said:
“Virgin Money is firmly committed to the health and wellbeing of our staff and this initiative is part of a range of measures which reflect the duty of care we provide to our colleagues.
“The specialist services provided by Physiotherapy Matters and Newcastle Premier Health can make a huge difference to the lives of our staff members. It’s fantastic to have been able to draw on their multidisciplinary expertise and vast experience of physiotherapy and occupational health to enhance the level of support we offer to our team.”