We’ve been asking BSUH staff about a hobby, interest or sport that enables them to unwind on a day off, boosts their overall health and wellbeing, and helps them cope with the pressures and stresses of working in our busy NHS. When did you first take up yoga? I was 21 and a medical student and my elective was at the Yoga Therapy Hospital in Bangalore. I expected there to be some yoga, but what I didn’t expect was that I’d get into it the way I did. What appealed to you about

The spread of HIV in the UK is slowing down but there are still 101,000 people living with the virus, according to the World Aids Day campaign. Almost half of those who test positive find out very late that they have the virus and, for some, it means their health has already been permanently damaged. Ignorance and discrimination about HIV persists, limiting the opportunities for people living with the virus and preventing them living full and happy lives. HIV, the campaign sa

Choose respect over bullying is the ongoing message of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week campaign (12-16 November). The organisers, the Anti-Bullying Alliance, say bullying is a “behaviour choice” and the aim of the campaign is to show that while we can disagree with people, we must also respect them. BSUH is currently updating and streamlining our bullying and harassment policy to make it more accessible for staff to raise concerns. We also provide dignity at work training

How are you feeling today? is an easy to use NHS toolkit to help staff work out what’s going wrong and how to turn things around, so the good days outnumber the bad. There are three headings to gauge how you’re feeling. On the edge You’re feeling overwhelmed and out of control, with too much to do and not enough time. What you should do. Make time to prioritise. Say no if you have to, or yes but not right now. Focus on what you can do for your patients, not on what you can’

There’s a saying that if you don’t have five minutes to meditate, then you should meditate for half an hour. Mediation and mindfulness is about being aware of where we are and what we’re doing. We’re all able to be mindful, but the tendency is to get distracted by thoughts, or to become anxious about worries and concerns. Mindfulness provides space to recognise your thoughts and emotions, so you can respond in a more peaceful way that supports resilience to stressful situatio

Are you, or someone close to you, drinking too much? That’s the question posed by Alcohol Concern as they launch their annual Alcohol Awareness Week (19-25 November). Their campaign message is simple - change is possible. Every year, they say, millions of people choose to drink more healthily or to stop drinking alcohol altogether. Too often alcohol consumption is an expectation rather than a choice, and Alcohol Concern says many people are suffering as a result, from their

It’s almost two years since BSUH, along with other trusts in England, established a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian. In that time, Caroline Owens has dealt with more than 80 cases, raised by staff from all sectors across the trust. “My role,” Caroline says, “is to provide support to staff who have a concern about patient care, patient safety or risk within the organisation and who are finding it difficult to raise the issue.” In many cases, once an individual has discussed their