It’s a challenge to stop smoking, especially if you have been smoking for a while. To make it a bit easier and mark WHO’s World No Tobacco Day we’re sharing these tips from Stop Smoking London.

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety. Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.

NELFT has been shortlisted for Employer of the Year award at the annual Ex-Forces in Business Awards, the world’s largest celebration of military veterans in second careers.

The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week running from 15-21 May, now in its 23^rd year, is ‘anxiety’.  Across the UK, people are encouraged to get involved by sharing their experience of anxiety and the things that can help.

Just as WHO declares that the Covid global health emergency is over, we’re celebrating the nurses who have seen us through one of the most difficult times in the history of the NHS and welcoming the nurses of the future.  

There are various routes that people take to join #TeamNELFT. Hear about John’s journey below - originally working with the Trust via an agency and is now working with us permanently. Similar to John, there are 56 new starters this financial year who joined our Staff Bank after working with the Trust via an agency.

Did you know that at NELFT, you can work on the Staff Bank in addition to your substantive role? 

Sarah Watts is doing just that! She currently works substantively as the Personal Assistant (PA) to the Associate Director for Redbridge Children’s Service and has an additional Bank role providing project and admin support for the Associate Director of Workforce Transformation. Read more below about Sarah’s career journey and how she works flexibly. 

Next week marks Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, a week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy.

It has been another busy week here at NELFT and I would like to start this week by acknowledging the courage of Marcella and Hazel who both shared their personal stories with the Trust Board yesterday. Marcella shared her journey as a carer for her son Mitchell who has a learning disability. It was really moving as Marcella was so generous in sharing both her challenges and the things she has put in place to support her son. There were some real lessons for us in health and care about how we truly listen to and enable people with a learning disability and their families to have a voice and access the care they need, when they need it most. Hazel is a patient involvement representative with us and shared her experience of COPD and anxiety and again, gave us lots of food for thought about how we can improve our respiratory services and the lives of those with respiratory conditions. I am so grateful to those who use our services for their time and energy helping us on our improvement journey.

I would like to start this week by thanking colleagues across NELFT and the wider health and social care services who worked over the Bank Holiday weekend to keep our patients safe. I hope those of you who didn’t work managed to enjoy the additional day off. I enjoyed seeing the pictures on social media of the artwork and creative activities that our patients got involved in to mark the Coronation, I was very impressed by the talents of many of our patients and colleagues that were on display.

I hope you enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend and a huge thank you to our colleagues across NELFT and beyond who worked over the Bank Holiday to ensure our patients and their loved ones received the best possible care. As we head into the extra Bank Holiday weekend for the King’s Coronation I would like to remind you  to check pharmacy service opening hours and any other key information you may require over the long weekend to ensure you have access to everything you need for your care.

With sunnier days, brighter evenings and daffodils blooming it feels as though Spring has finally arrived.

At NELFT, we know that caring at work and home can be challenging. That’s why we are dedicated to supporting our working parents so they can balance their home and work responsibilities. In celebration of International Women's Day and Mother's Day in March, we’re highlighting all the support we have available for #NELFTWomen.

At North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) our workforce consists of over 80% women, many of whom are mums. In other words, without our amazing mums we would not be able to provide the mental health support our communities need.  

This week I am covering for Jacqui as she is on annual leave, returning to work next week. I would like to take this opportunity to remind colleagues about the importance of taking your annual leave to support your wellbeing. Taking time off is crucial to rest and recover, and of course to ensure you do all the things that are important to you outside of work.

International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day fall in March. Throughout the month, we are celebrating our incredible #NELFTWomen and highlighting the support and opportunities available to them.