PruHealth, Mercer launch UK's Healthiest Company

PruHealth, the health insurer and Vitality wellness programme provider, has partnered with Mercer, the global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and investments, to launch Britain’s Healthiest Company. This is the first index of its kind aiming to find and celebrate the country’s most outstanding organisations demonstrating best practice and innovative approaches to looking after the health and wellbeing of their staff.

Britain's Healthiest Company will survey employers and employees at organisations with over 100 employees to gain a deeper insight into some of the biggest health risks and trends at the heart of the corporate nation's health. It will also highlight those that are delivering real and measurable benefits, not only in the health and wellbeing of their people, but also in the health of their balance sheets.

Neville Koopowitz, CEO at PruHealth said: "With an ageing population, rising retirement age and the increase in chronic diseases linked to lifestyle it is becoming more critical than ever to ensure a healthy long-term workforce. Organisations are starting to recognise the link between a healthy workforce and a healthy bottom line, as those that encourage health and wellness within the workplace see lower sickness absence, lower presenteeism and greater productivity.

"The Britain's Healthiest Company Index will give vital insight and understanding into how healthy today’s workforce is and which organisations are holding the gold medals when it comes to safeguarding their employees' health and motivating them to lead a healthier way of life."

As well as trophies for the winners, each participating organisation will receive a Corporate Health Report detailing the main health risks facing their organisation, tailor made recommendations on how to improve* and how they are benchmarked against other companies. Employees will also receive a Personal Health Report providing a unique insight into their health and recommendations on lifestyle changes they can make.

The overall winner will be named Britain's Healthiest Company and there will be further commendations for other top performing companies, with the top organisations in each category appearing on the Britain's Healthiest Company Index.

Britain's Healthiest Company launched on 26th August 2012 and the closing date for entries is 7th November 2012. The results will be announced early in 2013. Further details on how to enter can be found at: www.britainshealthiestcompany.co.uk

Ottobock Technical Service Team complete 845 repairs to athletes’ equipment at the London 2012 Paralympic Games before competition begins

845 repairs before Paralympics opened

Ottobock Healthcare prepares flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony and completes repairs to wheelchairs, prosthetics and orthotics in its first week of operation.

Ottobock Healthcare, Official Prosthetic, Orthotic and Wheelchair Technical Service Provider to the 2012 Paralympic Games, has completed 845 repairs before the Games were declared open, since opening the workshop doors on 22nd August.

Following the announcement of the flag bearers in the lead up to the opening ceremony, Ottobock technicians worked quickly to attach flag pole holders to over 60 wheelchairs.

 Working behind the scenes in a 6,500 ft2 workshop in the Paralympic Village and nine other workshops next to the field of play at nine competition venues, Ottobock technicians are responsible for repairs throughout the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The team of technicians come from 18 countries and speak 23 languages and all were required to lend a hand with the influx of athletes ahead of the Opening Ceremony. Each technician was matched to their home country – to attach flag holders to the athletes’ wheelchairs. An emergency team of technicians was also on hand at the Opening Ceremony to make last minute alterations to the flag holders. Four repairs were carried out in the Olympic Stadium, due to the high wind experienced.

“The Opening Ceremony day is always a busy one, and today we were flooded with requests for attaching holders for the flag bearers”, said Ken Hurst, Technical Director, Ottobock International Leadership Team at 2012 Paralympic Games. “Following our experience in Beijing, we came prepared with 55 flag holders, however when over 60 athletes walked through the door, we were required to do some quick thinking and sent our mobile unit to the hardware store to pick up some more material. In the end, it was a great success”.

On arrival in London, Paralympians from many of the competing countries visited Ottobock workshops to have their equipment repaired by the Technical Service Team ahead of competition, following damage to equipment during transit or training. Jobs were carried out by the team of experts including repairs to running blades, sockets, orthotic devices and rugby wheelchairs. Ottobock is supporting all 4,200 competing athletes with a team of 80 expert prosthetists, orthotists and wheelchair technicians, including 12 welders, who have all volunteered their services.

Athletes competing at the London 2012 Paralympic Games can all have their equipment checked and repaired by Ottobock experts before or during competition. Like the services provided by mechanics during a pit-stop in motor racing, Ottobock’s technical service team are located next to the field of play responsible for the repair and maintenance of equipment used by Paralympians and getting athletes back into the competition as fast as possible.

Ottobock has been a partner to the Paralympic Games providing technical service since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games, and has completed approximately 10,000 repairs for athletes during Paralympic competition since then. Records for most repairs completed in a single Games were set at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games where technicians worked over 10,000 hours, completing 2,188 repairs, including 183 in a single day.

(Pictured caption Ottobock Healthcare, Official Prosthetic, Orthotic and Wheelchair Technical Service Provider to the 2012 Paralympic Games, completed 845 repairs before the Games were even declared open. Following the announcement of the flag bearers in the lead up to the opening ceremony, 80 Ottobock technicians worked quickly to prepare and attach flag pole holders to over 60 wheelchairs.)

Chris Tarrant launches Kidney Cancer Monthly Lottery

"This lottery may not make you a millionaire but it will go a long way in helping us support kidney cancer patients."

‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ host, supporter and friend of the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer, Chris Tarrant has confirmed his interest in supporting the launch of ’The Kidney Cancer Lottery ’ http://www.kidneycancerlottery.org.

The Lottery has been designed to assist in the funding of the Patient Benefit Grant, which aims to help those suffering or in treatment for kidney Cancer, ease their financial strain and help access to things that can add to or maintain their quality of life. For example, if a patient requires continued access to television or broadband, or needs to pay to have a pet cared for due to a period of hospitalization etc., the Fund, on a case by case discretionary basis, can award funds of up to £1,000 per annum per patient.

Tickets are price at £1 each and one winning number is drawn on the last Friday of every month and the winner will receive a cash prize in proportion to the number of entries. 40% of the money collected will be given back in the cash prize and the remaining 60% will go to the charity.

Broadcaster James Whale, founder and Chairman of the James Whale Fund and a kidney cancer survivor, said: "We hope that many Kidney Cancer patients will directly benefit from this new initiative of the Fund and look forward to our lottery launch being well supported. The aim of the lottery is to have the chance to give something back to those that are generous enough to donate."

Whittington Health delivers patient safety framework for new integrated health community using Datix

Whittington Health, established from the integration of the The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust with the community health services of Islington and Haringey Primary Care Trusts and Islington social services in 2011, has deployed Datix patient safety software. The organisation, which employs over 4,500 people serving a catchment population of 440,000, is using Datix to create a single patient safety framework that manages adverse incidents, risks, claims and complaints plus health and safety across the new Integrated Care Organisation (ICO).
Datix was first installed by Whittington Hospital NHS Trust in July 2007 to replace the previous manual process for managing all patient safety, health and safety incidents as well as claims and complaints at the hospital. The formation of Whittington Health in 2011 created a new set of challenges. In addition to more patients and 2,000 additional staff, the increased emphasis on delivering a wider range of community care services meant that a diverse range of professionals including district nurses, health visitors, nutritionists, podiatrists and sexual health specialists also needed access to the Datix system.

After conducting a comprehensive Datix Health Check to determine the feasibility of Datix as the ICO’s system of choice, Datix demonstrated that it still offered the best solution in the marketplace combining superior functionality with maximum value for money. On 1st April, 2012, Whittington Health went live with the latest version of Datix (v11) for the new Integrated Care Organisation.

Liz Bennett, Datix Manager and Risk Manager at Whittington Health, commented, “Datix has given us a powerful, fully integrated platform for managing all incidents, risks, claims and complaints across the organisation. It gives us the flexibility we need to build on the openness we have with GPs, community and council partners and achieve ambitious levels of quality health care for our patients.”

Datix has delivered a range of benefits to managers, staff and patients, in particular vastly improved incident reporting. Datix has enabled Whittington Health to introduce consistent ways of working that save time and boost productivity. There is now a three-step process for incident reporting followed by 4,500 Datix users. The user-friendliness of the Datix system has meant that Liz Bennett was able to train all 600 managers in a short period of time enabling them to pass on the same level of quality training to their own staff quickly and consistently.

Next on the horizon is the imminent launch of the Datix Dashboards facility. This will enable directors from different divisions to review data relating to traditionally siloed areas of information, such as incidents and complaints, on one page. In addition Whittington Health will shortly deploy Datix Hotspots to help identify areas where increased levels of incidents may be a cause for concern and then automatically flag up when those incidents reach certain breach thresholds over a given timeframe.

The deployment of Datix has been so important to putting patient safety at the heart of Whittington Health that it recently won an accolade for Liz Bennett herself. As project leader, she received an “Excellence Award” presented by the CEO of Whittington Health for leading the ICO Datix project to successful implementation.

Jonathan Hazan, CEO of Datix, concluded, “With decades of experience developing watertight solutions for the NHS, Datix provides the perfect vehicle for ambitious and innovative organisations like Whittington Health which strive for excellence and put patients at the heart of everything they do. Our technology enables best-practice ways of working that demonstrably drive continual improvement and support the incident and risk management aims of an organisation.”

Experts ready to support Paralympians

Set up has begun today on the workshops where the Ottobock Technical Service Team will repair and maintain equipment used by athletes competing at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Team of prosthetists, orthotists and wheelchair technicians get set to support athletes from around the world at the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Set up starts on the workshops where the Ottobock Technical Service Team will repair and maintain equipment used by athletes competing at the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Today Ottobock Healthcare, Official Wheelchair, Prosthetic and Orthotic Technical Service Provider for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, began setting up workshops in the Paralympic Villages and nine competition venues, ready to begin repair and maintenance services when athletes arrive ahead of the opening of the Games.

In just two days over 13 tonnes of equipment and 15,000 spare parts will be set up ready for the workshops to open on August 22nd. The workshops will be staffed by an international team of 80 prosthetists, orthotists and wheelchair technicians, experts in the equipment used by Paralympic athletes in competition. The team will also include 12 welders responsible for repairing damage to wheelchair frames common in the hard-hitting Wheelchair Rugby and Basketball competitions.

On arrival in the Paralympic Village final preparations for many Paralympians is expected to include a visit to the Ottobock workshop to ensure their equipment is ready for competition.

Like the services provided by mechanics in motor racing, Ottobock is responsible for the service and maintenance of equipment relied on by Paralympians and getting them back into the competition as fast as possible. Ottobock technicians will be ready next to the field of play at the Velodrome, North Greenwich Arena, Basketball Arena, Royal Artillery Barracks, Greenwich Park, ExCeL, Eton Manor and Brands Hatch. There will also be an Ottobock workshop in the Olympic Stadium where the team will service a diverse range of equipment including the high-tech chairs used in wheelchair racing and the running blades used by the world’s fastest Paralympic sprinters.

An additional mobile workshop will support the marathon and hand cycling road race.

Repairs may range from simple tyre punctures to complex prosthetic knee repairs – all requiring specialist knowledge and speed. The team of technicians will be required to work creatively to solve equipment problems across all Paralympic sports.

Ottobock has been a partner to the Paralympic Games providing technical service since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games, and since then has completed approximately 10,000 repairs for athletes during competition.

The Ottobock Technical Service Team for the London 2012 Paralympic Games will include 15 members from Great Britain working alongside colleagues from Australia, Belgium, Japan, Germany, China, Canada, USA, Spain, France, Russia, Portugal, Mexico, Switzerland, Brazil, Netherland, Singapore, Ireland and Argentina. They have been selected for their expertise in the complete range of adaptive equipment, products and brands used by Paralympic athletes and their services are available to all 4,200 competing athletes.

“Ottobock is very proud of our history as technical service provider for the Paralympic Games,” said Professor Hans Georg Nader, President and CEO of Ottobock. “We have been a Partner since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games. The London 2012 Paralympic Games will be the 12th where we have had the honour of supporting all competing Paralympians and providing them with the confidence that their technical needs will be understood and expertly repaired, so that they can concentrate on performance and competition.”

“Ottobock has spent many years preparing an expert team to provide technical services for athletes at the London 2012 Paralympic Games,” said Ken Hurst, Technical Director, Ottobock London 2012 Leadership Team’. “Our 80 strong team is ready for what will no doubt be a busy, but very rewarding experience. The athleticism of Paralympic athletes puts great pressure on the equipment they use to compete. As a result we expecting them to come to us with a wide range of requirements; we are prepared to deal with them with the speed and best quality service that Ottobock is renowned for around the world.”

(Pictured: Ottobock Healthcare has announced a 6,500 ft2 workshop in the Athletes’ Village is being prepared for an influx of Paralympians today. Ottobock Healthcare, Official Technical Service Provider for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, will set up over 13 tonnes of maintenance equipment ready to begin repairs one week ahead of the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony.)

Ottobock is a world leading supplier of high quality, innovative and practical solutions that restore human mobility and help people to rediscover personal independence. Ottobock Healthcare is part of the Ottobock global group of companies established in the UK in 1976. Its wide product range includes high quality prosthetic and orthotic components, wheelchairs, rehabilitation and mobility products available through the country's leading clinics and dealers. With a highly motivated and skilled team of professionals offering expert advice, product sales, service and support, Ottobock solutions enhance the physical comfort, confidence and mobility of the individual. Ottobock aims to achieve the best possible outcome for its customers, combining the latest technology with cutting-edge products and services.

Ottobock is also the Official Prosthetic, Orthotic and Wheelchair Technical Service Provider of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. It has been supporting people with disabilities participate in sports and recreation for more than three decades, and has been a Partner of the Paralympic Games since 1988. Ottobock has been an official ‘Worldwide Partner of the Paralympic Movement’ since 2005. www.ottobock.co.uk

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PruHealth and Daley Thomson launch 'Walk the Tube' app

PruHealth, the UK's fourth-largest health insurer and provider of the Vitality wellness programme, the world's longest-standing incentive-based health improvement solution, has teamed up with Daley Thompson to launch a free 'Walk the Tube with Daley Thompson' app.

While the tube map app will enable commuters and tourists in London to avoid the crush of the London Underground during the particularly busy summer period, it more importantly provides an accessible and cost-effective mechanism for Londoners to make a longer-term commitment to their health by establishing a precedent of walking. This is particularly important when considered in light of the generally low physical activity levels in the capital, and the strong link that exists between walking and improvements in health.

While simple and intuitive, the app provides an array of information related to the journey, plus activity and behavioural motivators, including:

- Step-by-step walking routes with an at-a-glance tube map showing the number of steps between stations
- Built in pedometer that provides a real-time overview of the number of steps, length of time and calories burned on each journey
- Motivational messages from Daley Thompson throughout the journey
- An ability to save regular journeys and maintain a record of walking history to provide a summary of total distance covered, number of steps taken and calories burned
- Real-time alerts that provide updates on the tube service, and allow an assessment to be made on whether it will be quicker to walk or wait for the train.
- Enables users to share details via Facebook

Daley Thompson, a PruHealth Vitality Ambassador said: "It's a well-documented fact that overall levels of physical fitness do not tend to improve and people are not generally motivated by seeing amazing athletic accomplishments at the Games. This is a handy tool that can be easily incorporated into people's lives that could translate the current wave of national pride into personal action to make small changes to every day routines. Not only is it great exercise helping you tone up during the summer, but for visitors and Londoners alike it gives you the opportunity to try new walks, beat your own best times - all whilst discovering the capital's landmarks you would miss while stuck underground."

Neville Koopowitz, CEO at PruHealth added: "PruHealth launched the very first 'Walk the Tube' map seven years ago and this new app is the next logical step to meet the needs of how people now access and use information. Ideally we should all be walking 10,000 steps each day to keep ourselves healthy and we hope this app will show commuters how easy it is to do that at any time of the year and beat travel hotspots at the same time."

The app is available for both iPhone and Android phones and is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.