Wellness of Britain’s emergency services mapped by iGlobalWellness

How healthy are the emergency services in the UK? To answer this question,  iGlobalWellness launches a nationwide initiative to map,  illustrate and improve the health of the emergency services in 2014.

According to the Health & Social Care Information Centre, which this summer published the results of a study into staff wellbeing and sickness rates, emergency services aren’t doing too well. Between January and March 2013 the average sickness absence rate for the emergency services in England was 4.1%, compared to a national average of 2.1%.

No organisations depend on the health and wellbeing of their employees more than the these vital services. And that’s why this year iGlobalWellness, the UK’s foremost provider of corporate wellness programmes, is leading the way with a ground-breaking new initiative designed to improve the health and wellbeing of these key workers in a fun and easy way – The Emergency Services Stay Active Challenge.

Starting on January 31st 2014, teams of 5 from police forces, NHS trusts and fire services nationwide are being challenged to increase their daily activity levels as much as possible over 6 weeks. Any activity counts, big or small – doing the gardening, cycling to work, even going shopping. It’s simple, the team and department with the biggest average daily activity increases win. With success in the challenge being based on a percentage increase in activity, the Challenge provides a completely level playing field for all participants irrespective of their starting activity levels.

Participants wear the iAM, a revolutionary activity monitor developed by iGlobalWellness, which measures speed and intensity of movement, combined with calorie burn and metabolic data. The iAM automatically and wirelessly uploads all this data to each participant’s private online profile.

Participants also receive unparalleled support form a Personal Wellness coach as well as nutrition and dietary advice, and regular tips on how to get and stay active.

Through the Emergency Services Stay Active Challenge, Chief Executive Russell Tomlin is determined to provide all the tools and support to enable these key workers to improve and maintain their wellbeing.

Previous Stay Active Challenges have already made startling inroads into getting the UK more active. To date, private corporations have been the ones to benefit from the scheme and on average participants have increased their daily activity level by a life changing 70%. Its not surprising that this is having a marked effect on productivity. 73% of previous Stay Active Challenge participants have reported an improved ability to manage stress and 64% reported having more energy at work.

The Emergency Services Challenge will produce a Wellness Scale, unique to these key sectors of the economy, allowing departments to measure the health and wellness of their team against the national standard. iGlobalWellness plans to use this data not just to help individual employees to improve their health, but ultimately as part of a broad study to provide essential insight into the health and wellbeing of the emergency services as a whole.

The Emergency Services Stay Active Challenge commences on 31st January 2014. For more information or to sign up visit www.stayactivechallenge.com