To combat long-term absence and stress issues Sherwood Forest Hospitals and the Nottinghamshire County Primary Care Trust has introduced an absence management scheme for its 4,000 staff.

It also plans to launch an occupational health scheme in the near future.

Anne Burton, staff and benefits co-ordinator, explained: "We are always looking at issues around long-term absence but what really drove us was the fact that our staff are our main resource and we couldn't have them off work for health reasons."

Through the new scheme, employees must contact a trained nurse if they are going to be absent, who will then notify the trust.

To communicate the benefit, provided by Active Health Partners, the organisation held wellbeing fairs. These were considered to be so successful that they will be run either annually or bi-annually next year.

"Staff are given extended breaks so that they can go and find out more about the benefits on offer around wellbeing," said Burton. The hospital also introduced a mobile phone scheme last month, provided by Sourcecom.