16 minute read
Cover Feature - Health and Wellbeing
Benenden offers
Founded in 1907 as a mutual organisation to help others, Benenden Hospital was originally a sanatorium for Post Office workers suffering from tuberculosis (TB).
It started with Charles Garland, a Post Office clerk, who was appalled at the plight of his many colleagues who were contracting and dying from TB.
Benenden, near Cranbrook, located in the High Weald of Kent, was chosen because of its rural location in the beautiful open countryside, a location adjacent to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It was ideal for TB patients for whom it was thought fresh, clean air and bed rest were key to their recovery.
With cases of TB declining, the Benenden Healthcare Society expanded treatment to include chest conditions, shortly afterwards building an operating theatre, surgical wards and an x-ray department.
The Society evolved into Benenden Health, offering a range of discretionary healthcare and well-being services to members.
Whilst Benenden Hospital continued to provide quality care for Benenden Health members, in 2006 it also opened its doors to NHS patients. As part of its redevelopment in 2017, Benenden Hospital now has a light and bright atrium, all newly built clinical areas including Out-patients and theatres, new CT, MRI and diagnostic imaging facilities, a dedicated eye unit and a new physiotherapy suite.
Today Benenden Hospital is a private hospital, which continues the principle of providing a first-class treatment for a wide range of specialities. The hospital provides treatment to patients whether they are self-pay, privately insured, are referred through the NHS or are Benenden Health members. We work in partnership with businesses to help employees find the road to better health. By partnering with us, your members or employees can take advantage of generous discounts on our range of over 250 self-pay treatments and services, including:
Cataract surgery and treatments
We are the number one provider of private cataract surgery in Kent and Sussex (based on independent reporting by PHIN, the Private Healthcare Information Network) and one of the biggest providers of eye treatments in the South East of England.
Diagnostic services
Health concerns can be worrying, especially right now. Our specialist diagnostics suite provides a safe and comfortable environment for tests and scans, producing quick results.
Hip and knee surgery
We are one of the leading centres in the South East for private hip and knee replacement, so we can help your employees/members get moving again with our rapid recovery programme in a safe and comfortable environment.
Your employees/members may even be able to benefit from tailored individual anaesthetic and pain control, thanks to local anaesthetic techniques such as a PENG Block, at the end of hip replacement surgery. This means they are less likely to need strong pain relief after their operation.
Private GP service
Our private GP service offers 25-minute face to face appointments during the week and on Saturdays. Access on-site diagnostics, quick referrals and our in-house pharmacy, all in a safe and comfortable environment.
Weight loss procedures
We are the number one provider in Kent and Sussex for private gastric sleeve (gastrectomy) surgery (based on PHIN independent reporting). We offer gastric band, gastric sleeve, gastric balloon and gastric bypass surgery.
There are many benefits to partnering with us: • There is no cost to your organisation – all treatment costs are covered by the employee/member • It is easy to administer – you agree to promote our discounts via your usual channels of communication, and we will support you with our promotional toolkit • Your employees/members can get back on the road to recovery – treatment can be booked at a time to suit them
• Your employees/members save money – with discounts worth £100s
Benenden Hospital is the only private hospital in Kent to be rated “Outstanding” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator who ensures that health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.
Not only does the hospital benefit from numerous awards, it boasts high levels of patient satisfaction with more than 98% saying they would recommend the hospital to family and friends.
Patients remain at the heart of Benenden Hospital. They are cared for by kind, compassionate and talented people of the highest calibre. Many of whom have considerable clinical experience from working in the NHS and the healthcare sector. Continuous programmes are in place ensuring that our staff continue to provide excellence in care.
Protect your health and wellbeing
The last 18 months have been testing, to say the least. The COVID pandemic has changed the way we communicate, do business and live. Naturally, by causing so much upheaval, it has had a detrimental effect on the mental health and well-being of many people.
Kent based neuroscientist, Dr Julia Jones, has been helping people to protect their wellbeing and is at the centre of a new smart wellness movement. Based on the latest longevity science, it is designed to help people stay well for longer into old age. She set up her first smart wellness centre and biohacking lab in Evegate near Ashford in 2021. From here her start-up, Neuron Wellness, beams live coaching sessions and keynote speeches worldwide to a growing list of employers, sports stars and TV celebrities.
The smart wellness phenomenon has rapidly evolved over the past 18 months, driven by the marriage of neuroscience and tech start-ups, and the realisation that five decades of diet and fitness trends have failed to produce healthy nations.
Julia Jones says her smart wellness programme is effective because it directly targets our underlying ancient biology just by adopting tiny habits into our daily routines and does not rely on the flawed models of diets and gym memberships. She has been selling the programme to businesses as a tool to help them promote wellbeing among their workforce, and it’s available to individuals via her website: www.neuronwellness.com.
The inhabitants of her local village, Smeeth, are also benefiting from her research. Many have been invited to take part in a project to reverse their biological age by making these small changes to their daily routine. The results will be published in the third book in her health trilogy in 2022.Julia says interest in her programmes and coaching sessions has rocketed since the pandemic and she’s looking forward to touring with the “smart wellness experience” as a live show in 2022.
During these challenging times, it pays to look after each other. An estimated one in nine people in East Kent is a carer, looking after a relative or friend who cannot manage without their support. They may not think of themselves as carers; it’s just what they do for a partner, child, parent, sibling or friend who needs their help. Because many carers combine their caring responsibilities with working, it’s likely that you have carers in your workforce. Being a carer can be rewarding, but it can be challenging at times too. The pandemic has significantly increased the stress on carers and many find they don’t have time to look after their own health and social needs.Breaks from caring responsibilities can be a lifeline, but many carers struggle to get any time for themselves. Carers’ Support East Kent says more than six in ten (64%) of carers had no breaks at all during the pandemic and 78% say they don’t get the breaks they need.
The organisation said: “As carers, everything we do revolves around the needs of the person we care for. It would be amazing to just feel yourself for a little while.”
Can your company help a carer to get a much-needed break by donating to Carers’ Support East Kent’s Time for Me Appeal? Please donate what you can. You’ll be helping Carers to get a little me-time to do the everyday things that you might take for granted. For more information visit www.carersek.org. uk/time-for-me-appeal.
Good physical health can also improve your mental wellbeing, so it’s worth taking time out to have a relaxing spa or massage once in a while. There are plenty of companies in Kent who can help with this, including Restoring Health.
Each treatment that the company provides is tailormade to your needs using a combination of sports and remedial massage techniques, Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) and bespoke exercise prescription to improve musculoskeletal alignment, ensuring a range of responses from relaxation through to postural correction and pain management. The company says: “You are important to us as an individual and we believe that every person should have the best quality of life possible. Therefore, we are at the forefront of technological advancements within our field and constantly investing in lifechanging applications.
“We are dedicated to providing you with excellent value treatment and collaborating with like-minded professionals that offer a range of services for your wellbeing Journey.
“Our most recent expansion includes the current development of a range of CDB products specific to our profession, as well as a High Intensity PEMF device that has passed the UK Medical CE Certification. There are currently only a handful of these operating in a clinical setting within the UK. The recent COVID-19 lockdowns have afforded us the opportunity to refurbish our beautiful Georgian House Building in Chart Sutton. Chamber members are most welcome to join us for a coffee and share their personal business journey with us.”
For more information visit:
www.restoring-health.co.uk
LycaHealth invests in KIMS Hospital
LycaHealth has confirmed it is investing more than £140 million to grow its business in the UK.
The figure, which will be spent over the next five years, will primarily be invested in the south east, where LycaHealth will add the largest independent hospital in Kent – KIMS Hospital – and its associated medical centre in Sevenoaks to its medical centres already operating in London. This is part of LycaHealth’s commitment to bringing high-quality, accessible health services to local communities in the UK. The investment from LycaHealth comes seven years after KIMS Hospital opened its doors to patients in Maidstone and follows the acquisition of Sevenoaks Medical Centre by the hospital in 2020. KIMS Hospital’s focus remains to provide safe, outstanding quality care for people across Kent.
This investment will support KIMS Hospital’s ambition to expand its services and accessibility to the local community in Kent and the adjoining areas. In collaboration with LycaHealth, the hospital will be able to combine the knowledge of its dedicated medical staff with the latest technologies to meet the growing demand for fast access to diagnostics and treatments.
Over the coming years, LycaHealth will be investing in upgrading KIMS hospital technology and facilities for existing and future enhanced services, including supporting the growth of cancer care, treatment and recovery facilities.
For LycaHealth – which already has state-of-the-art centres in Canary Wharf and Orpington, including its recently opened breast and screening diagnostic centres – this investment is testament to the company’s commitment to increase its healthcare portfolio in the UK, and ensure patients have access to highquality medical care.
Prema Subaskaran, LycaHealth chairperson, said: “At LycaHealth, we strongly believe that if we’re to give people access to truly high-quality and rapid medical care in the UK, then the private sector should work hand-in-hand with the NHS. Our investment in KIMS hospital is a step towards us achieving our long-term goal to provide a complete pathway from diagnosis through to treatment and aftercare for those patients who require it. Working with the KIMS team, we’ll be able to improve access to tech and strengthen the facilities on offer that ultimately improve each patient’s individual route to care, providing the best affordable healthcare for the local community.”
Simon James, CEO of KIMS Hospital, said: “I’m delighted that LycaHealth is investing in KIMS Hospital and our medical centre in Sevenoaks. LycaHealth’s investment comes at a time when demand for healthcare, both NHS and private, continues to grow. With the support and backing of LycaHealth, we have an excellent opportunity to build on our success to date. As the largest independent hospital in Kent, we play a critical role supporting the local community, both as a provider of outstanding healthcare and as a local employer, with more than 400 employees. In partnership with LycaHealth, we have a fantastic opportunity to expand our healthcare provision across Kent, meeting the needs of local people.”
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Wellbeing
in the workplace
By Stephanie Unthank
Wellbeing in the workplace is no longer something that businesses simply need to be aware of. It has been reported that your manager has a bigger impact on your health and wellbeing than your doctor. Now more than ever, businesses of all sizes, need a clear wellbeing thread that increases loyalty and engagement amongst employees.
Those businesses that want to attract a diverse and talented workforce must engage in developing and embedding long-term wellness strategies that will stand the test of time, create loyalty, and retain employees. For organisations to succeed it’s imperative that employee wellbeing is part of everyday culture.
Having worked in the corporate sector at a global organisation for over 20 years, I have a true understanding of what it feels like to manage work related stress, perform at a high level and lead large teams through challenging changing landscapes whilst also trying hard to find and stay balanced in my own life.
With this understanding and recognising that the workplace landscape is more complex than ever, with differing working models, how do employers embed a wellbeing culture with longevity?
You first need to ask your employees. Ask for their input from the very beginning. Ask for ideas and create space for open discussions so that you can truly understand your employees. Ask them what a healthy working environment look likes and show your employees how much you value them.
A leadership team at this point can use these insights and then decide what’s easy to change and consider symbolic action that supports and increases employee engagement.
The next step is to activate the change.
Adopting a ‘you said, we did’ approach to workplace wellbeing can create a big and positive shift. Embedding transformative workplace wellbeing initiatives, with purpose, are a game changer. When we tap into employees in an engaging way, truly listen and wholeheartedly respond, we will change culture.
Investing in good health and wellbeing strategies in the workplace is also proven to lift engagement, create purpose, improve communication, and boost productivity. If you don’t engage your workforce and find out what the real wellbeing challenges are, you will continue to throw good money after bad decisions which in turn will not impact your organisational wellbeing in a positive way.
Infinity Wellness have designed and successfully delivered programmes and workshops to businesses of all sizes. Using a tried and tested cultural change framework we focus on shaping and embedding employee focused wellbeing strategies that not only work but are effective in how they land, engage, and embed, for the long-term.
Investing in the mental Health and Wellbeing of
employees has never been more important
Social Enterprise Kent (SEK) knows that investing in the mental health and wellbeing of employees has never been more important. The digital age, has increased the speed of communication and has increased demand on everyone in the workplace. On top of those stresses, throw in a global pandemic and you have the perfect storm which has impacted on everyone’s health and wellbeing both in the workplace and at home.
1 in 6 employees experience mental health problems every year Poor mental health at work is costing £226 Billion on average each year 75% of line managers believe employee wellbeing is their responsibility. However, only 22% have received training
What can you do as an organisation lead? Investment. Investment in training. It isn’t expensive, too time consuming and doesn’t have to be difficult, but can prove invaluable for staff and managers alike.
A Mental Health first aid course will cover topics to help you identify when a colleague may be experiencing a range of mental health issues. You will learn techniques to ensure you are confident in approaching colleagues and have open and frank conversations about any issues they may have. You will gain the skills and understanding to fully support team members and they will know who in the business they can approach, if they are seeking help. In the same way you would have a nominated First Aider on site to assist with physical first aid. A happy workforce and cohesive team environment, creates a dynamic, happier and more productive workforce.
SEK’s Mental Health First Aid training sessions start from £65 for a ½ a day session covering basic mental health awareness and we can train up to Level 3 accredited, for just £180 and 2 days of your time. A small investment goes a long way to helping your staff and your business.
Find out more at www.sektraining.org.uk
SEK are a not-for-profit organisation. Which means, any training you book with us, will help support your local community as we re-invest our profits into our other community projects. #BuySocial
Can you give a Carer a break this Christmas?
The pandemic has significantly increased the impact on Carers and many find they don’t have time to look after their own health and social needs. Breaks from caring responsibilities can be a lifeline, but many Carers struggle to get time away. 64% of Carers had no breaks at all during the pandemic and 78% say they don’t get the breaks they need.
Can you help a Carer in East Kent to get a much-needed break by donating to our Time for Me Appeal? Please donate what you can. You’ll be helping Carers to get a little me-time to do the everyday things most people take for granted. www.carersek.org.uk/time-for-me-appeal
Registered charity no: 1136904
Lustre Consulting Ltd Matt Dean, Managing Director
