An NHS trust has reduced sickness absence and saved £250,000 by introducing a staff self-referral physiotherapy scheme.
The musculoskeletal physiotherapy scheme run by Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital has treated more than 250 of its staff a year for the last three years.
Therapy Outpatient Team physiotherapist Michael Delahay led the service over that time and was rewarded by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) for the scheme's success.
It provides the Oswestry-based trust's employees with easy access to on-site treatment and education on the benefits of early access to physiotherapy.
CSP Council chair Sue Rees praised the work of the team in keeping staff fit to treat patients.
"Early access to health services like physiotherapy has been found to reduce the likelihood of people being off work for more than one month by 50%," she said.
"If we catch problems early enough, many conditions can be treated without any absence being required at all. This self-referral scheme is clear evidence of just how successful employee health initiatives can be.
"We encourage all NHS trusts to implement their own staff wellbeing strategies in order to benefit patients," she added.
