Four in five junior doctors (JDs) regularly experiencing excessive work-related stress and one in four state their job has a serious negative impact on their mental health.1 Addressing these issues improves the quality of service delivered to patients, patient safety and outcomes.2 Its importance is reflected in the inclusion of staff wellbeing as a top priority for Royal Surrey County Hospitals (RSCH) five-year strategic goals. A trust-wide project; spearheaded by a Leadership Fellow and supported by the Director of Medical Education and BMA, was conducted to assess the magnitude of this problem locally and identify simple, sustainable and affordable Methods to address these issues.

Initially a JD Wellbeing Questionnaire was distributed, JD Wellbeing Forum and 1:1 discussions for anecdotal information conducted. Review of recent national guidelines and recommendations related to NHS staff wellbeing were examined, and models of wellbeing-support at other organisations were appraised. The Results from these were collated and led to the identification of four main areas that required improvement along with strategies to address these.

The success of the project relied on early identification, networking, and involvement of key stakeholders, ranging from JDs to senior members of staff, clinical and non-clinical such as the Medical Director and Director of Human Resources. Their involvement helped maintain momentum, enable Results of greater magnitude and ensure sustainability. Widespread publicity of the project gained buy-in from staff and although the project predominantly focussed on JDs, the project resonated with other staff groups, resulting in an all-encompassing project, trust-wide change and a global shift in culture.

This project brands RSCH as a pioneer in this revolutionary transformation of attitude towards staff wellbeing. The concepts and strategies outlined in this project, based on national recommendations, should be replicated at other trusts.