BT Workfit
Workfit 6 Diabetes
Around 8,000 BT people are estimated to have
diabetes - but one in four is unaware of the fact. This astonishing
statistic sets the scene for the latest Work Fit programme - called
"Work Fit - What's your risk?" - for BT people that
is now underway.
A joint initiative between the BT Trade Unions - CWU and Connect,
BT, the and the charity Diabetes UK, the new Work Fit campaign
seeks to raise awareness of diabetes - dubbed "the silent
assassin" - and to dispel some of the myths associated with
it.
The campaign is being supported by a series of roadshows, both in
the UK and across the globe. BT people in the UK are being invited
to register their attendance at a roadshow in advance, with the
chance of winning a day pass to a luxury spa.
The six-week Work Fit programme emphasises the preventative
lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of developing the more
common Type 2 diabetes - often linked to obesity.
It also aims to help people assess their risk of having diabetes
and encourages them to go for screening without delay if they
suspect they are experiencing diabetes symptoms.
BT chief medical officer Paul Litchfield said: "Diabetes is
now considered a serious threat to global health - in fact, the
figures are quite staggering. Every 20 minutes, a person dies from
diabetes-related causes - and four people are diagnosed with
diabetes.
"It currently affects 246 million people worldwide - and that
figure is expected to grow to 380 million people by 2025."
Speaking on behalf of the CWU Andy Kerr said that the CWU is
actively supporting this campaign and our safety reps will be
working to spread the message and ensure that it reaches a wide
section of members and their families.
BT Group health advisor Catherine Kilfedder points out that the
longer diabetes goes undetected, the more likely it is that serious
complications such as heart disease, stroke and kidney failure will
develop.
She said: "We also know that up to 80 per cent of type 2
diabetes is preventable through improved nutrition, increased
physical activity and good weight management. The new Work Fit
campaign aims to encourage personal responsibility for health -
emphasising prevention and early detection, and providing guidance
on workplace issues."
Previous WorkFit Campaigns
Workfit 5: Cancer and
You
The CWU, Connect and BT worked
in partnership on a major WorkFit campaign on Cancer awareness.
BT's Work Fit: Cancer and you campaign was been drawn up in
collaboration with the Communication Workers Union and Connect and
with the support of the Cancer charity Cancerbackup which is the
UK's leading cancer information charity.
Cancerbackup provides information, understanding and support on any
cancer, its treatment and care. The charity provides a free phone
helpline, staffed by cancer nurse specialists; has eight walk-in
information centres in England; and produces a comprehensive range
of publications (70 booklets and 300 fact sheets), all free to
patients and their families, at this website www.cancerbackup.org.uk
Each year 250 BT people are newly diagnosed with cancer and another
2,000 have overcome the disease and are back working for the
company. Different cancers are commoner at different ages but, in
general, the risk increases as we get older so that looking across
the whole of our lives our chances of developing cancer are one in
three and that's rising. That means that cancer
will affect each and every one of us - either
because we become ill ourselves or because it strikes a close
family member, a friend or a colleague.
'Work Fit - Cancer and you'
included:
· Comprehensive information and guidance available
over a six week period commencing 16 October - more information can
be found on the BT intranet 'Work Fit - Cancer and
you' web site at:
http://humanresources.intra.bt.com/health/workfit/cancercampaign.htm
· A series of roadshows across the UK and beyond.
· An event addressed by CWU Deputy General Secretary
Jeannie Drake has taken place in BT Centre Auditorium on 23 October
that included a 'drop-in' interactive information fair for
everyone at BT Centre on that day.
· A range of local initiatives created and delivered
by the unions and local BT management.
Workfit 1 was the biggest lifestyle initiative undertaken in
British Industry. WorkFit 1, was a partnership between BT, the BT
unions, (CWU and Connect) and the Men's Health Foundation.
The CWU and Connect worked with BT on the first WorkFit health
initiative which ran between September 2005 and January 2006. This
was the biggest lifestyle initiative undertaken in British
Industry, and comes from fact that within BT one person a fortnight
dies from a heart related illness. CWU Safety Reps ran road shows
up and down the country and turned WorkFit into the success it has
become. Dr Ian Banks, Chair of the Men's Health Foundation,
said that without the CWU WorkFit would never have happened and he
praised the work of our USRs.
The campaign was aimed at getting the entire BT workforce to look
at work life balance, and to give help and advice on how to avoid
heart problems, get fit, loose weight, stroke prevention, lowering
cholesterol, having a healthier diet and a healthier lifestyle.
The Workfit website included things such as;
Access to Nurses engaged by Men's Health Forum to act as
Lifestyle advisors available to answer e-mail questions and give
dietary and fitness advice.
Frequently Asked Questions section
Body Mass Index Guide
Useful health information sites
Those taking part were be sent a "health toolkit",
consisting a mini men's health manual, pedometer, various
health publications, tape measure, details of sponsorship ideas,
reduced / discounted gym memberships, discounts for blood pressure
tests and cholesterol tests.
The main points made about WorkFit at the awards ceremony were:
• Due to the involvement of the trade unions it became a mass
participatory initiative - 16,000 people (out of 90,000) signed up
to the 16-week programme.
• Because a majority of the workforce in BT is male, and
because it is known to be harder to recruit men to lifestyle change
programmes, Work Fit had to be designed to attract men as well as
women. It succeeded - about 75% of the participants were male,
broadly in line with the workforce demographic.
• About 5,000 people could be tracked through the programme.
The key indicator of weight loss shows that the majority lost
weight (2.3 kg on average).
• A four-month follow-up showed that for a majority the
lifestyle improvements were sustained and the Work Fit model has
been used in subsequent BT health programmes (smoking, mental
health, cancer next).
• Work Fit shows the union effect in the workplace, where
union safety reps delivered a key health initiative. This model
could now be used in other workplaces.
WorkFit 1 has achieved major recognition by being in a shortlist of
four out of fifteen hundred entries for the annual Health and
Social Care Awards. The awards exist to celebrate the immense pool
of talent and initiative in health and social care. They are run
in partnership between the Department of Health and the NHS
Institute for Innovation and Improvement and are the most important
opportunity within the NHS and social care to identify, recognise
and reward excellence in the provision of care at the frontline.
The National Ceremony of the Health and Social Care Awards was held
on Monday 26 February 2007 at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel.
Broadcaster Jeremy Vine hosted this year's ceremony. Also
taking part were the Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon
Patricia Hewitt, and an audience consisting of national finalists,
Ministers and people from across health and social care. The four
finalists were:
Six8four Centre- Six8four Haringey United Football Team- Haringey
Social Services and Street League
Specialised Supported Living Service Team- Specialised Supported
Living Service, Leeds Mental Health NHS Trust
Listening Bags Project Team- Sure Start Ashfield North
Children's Centre, Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT
Work Fit- The Men's Health Forum; BT; BT Unions, National
Obesity Forum and Roche Pharmaceuticals.
The overall winners were the Specialised Supported Living Service
Team.
The Awards web site is at: www.healthandsocialcareawards.org
The men's health forum web site is at: www.menshealthforum.org.uk/
Workfit 2 was held to coincide with National No Smoking day on 14th
March 2006. CWU Safety reps again held roadshows with the support
of Primary Care Trusts to provide help, awareness and assistance
for people to quit smoking.
WorkFit 3 had the union asking Branches to raise awareness of
members in BT for the activities associated with the BT Work Fit
for Sport Relief website www.btworkfit.com/index.php
The Website was designed especially to help BT staff and their
families prepare for the Sport Relief Mile run on July 15th 20006.
The web site focused on the many interlinked ways to improve health
and fitness levels in preparation for the annual Sport Relief Mile.
There are helpful articles and initiatives on the website that can
be accessed right away. For example, you can take a look at what
you are eating and assess whether you could do with changing a few
habits. Or start thinking about your fitness levels and find out
about the first steps you need to take to improve them.
Any member of BT staff or their family can benefit from the
information and advice on the website.
BT has sponsored Sport Relief since its debut in 2002 and again be
provided telephony, network management, call centres and volunteers
for the appeal - as well as providing the e-donate platform as a
robust back-up to Sport Relief's existing facility.
WorkFit 4 was held to coincide with World Mental Health Day on
Tuesday 10th October 2006, BT launched Workfit 4 - 'Mind how
you go/body and mind'. It was a 16 week programme with eight
modules aimed at getting people thinking about their mental health
and explaining what they can do to build positive changes into
their life. This was done in partnership with the BT Unions,
Sainsbury mental health group, MIND and local NHS mental health
trusts.
Each fortnight the campaign gave one of the 'positive
steps' promoted by the World Mental Health Day campaign -
advice that has been shown to help with symptoms of distress, as a
well as preventing problems occurring or becoming overwhelming.
There were 8 web based modules over a 16 week programmed period;
each module had a quiz at the end of the fortnight. Those
participating in the quiz, and achieving a level, was entered for a
prize draw.
The objectives of the programme were:
• create awareness of what is meant by mental health
• create understanding of the need for individuals to take
responsibility of their own well being by taking steps that will
help to prevent mental health conditions developing
• Provide details of the support available to line managers
and individuals to help them manage their own well being
• Recognise there will be people in BT who are currently
experiencing mental ill-health issues and make them to feel
included in the campaign and that the advice and guidance being
provided will be relevant and supportive to them also
The Eight Modules were:
Module 1- Keep active
Module 2-Eat well and drink sensibly
Module 3 -Relax
Module 4- Keep in touch with friends
Module 5-Talk about it
Module 6 - Maintain close relationships
Module 7 - Ask for help
Module 8 - Accept who you are
