NHS Trust helps people live healthier lifestyles

The local provider of mental health and learning disability services is supporting the NHS Change4Life campaign by making it easier for staff and people who use its services to live healthier lifestyles.

The Change4Life campaign is the NHS’s way of tackling the rise of obesity and other health problems associated with modern life. It promotes three key messages – Eat better, move more, and live longer.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health and learning disability services to people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, has taken several steps to make sure staff and service users eat better and move more. These include:

• Contracting a new catering company, Catering Plus, which provides fresh, wholesome food from locally sourced ingredients. Catering Plus make it easier for customers to eat five portions of fruit /vegetables a day, and get the right amount of each food group.

• Encouraging staff to consider cycling or walking to work instead of driving, and taking the stairs rather than the lift wherever possible. The Trust is planning secure cycle parking and showers to facilitate this.

• Opening an onsite nature trail on its Fieldhead site in Wakefield to encourage staff to walk during their break times and give service users, carers and visitors an outdoor space to do some exercise.

Physiotherapist Simon Plummer who is leading on the initiative within the Trust said, "NHS organisations like ours play a vital role in tackling the rise of obesity and we have a duty, as a responsible employer, to make sure we do our bit to create a culture that supports healthy eating and physical exercise. It is hoped that our efforts will help staff set an example and encourage people using Trust services to adopt healthier lifestyles too."