An NHS survey in 2023 found that staff working in the oncology department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals had some of the highest levels of self-reported burn out.

There are over 1,400 staff working at Leeds Cancer Centre, and the oncology health and wellbeing leads recognised that they needed to improve staff wellbeing.

Thanks to your donations and gifts in Wills, we provided funding to set up an initiative to provide a year of wellbeing support for staff.

The project, led by Dr Helen Harding, Clinical Psychologist in Staff Psychological Support, Liz Brown and the oncology health and wellbeing leads, aims to tackle work-related stress by setting up opportunities to participate in wellbeing support interventions.

Following the survey in 2023, Helen conducted two in-house surveys in April and September 2024 to gather more in depth feedback to understand what impacts health and wellbeing at work and ideas on how to combat these issues.

The survey found that staff found it difficult working in high pressured and highly emotive environments with a perceived lack of resource to manage this. Staff often don’t know how to access support and there is still a stigma around prioritising their own wellbeing.

In December 2024, the first of a series of a year-long virtual and in-person sessions were set up to combat staff wellbeing. These workshops covered a range of topics tailored to key themes highlighted by staff, including stress and imposter syndrome, menopause at work and handling bereavement. There was also opportunities to get involved in mindfulness activities, reiki, sound relaxation, as well as opportunities to socialise with colleagues through events like a Christmas quiz.

As well as arranging sessions staff could attend, Helen and the team recognised that some staff may find it difficult to leave their wards during busy periods. So, as part of the year-long project, the health and wellbeing leads also visited departments to host team-based events, offering teams the opportunity to enjoy time out with colleagues to chat about their mental wellbeing.

Helen spoke to us about the initiative,

“Working in oncology can be emotionally intense and incredibly demanding. We’re so grateful to Leeds Hospitals Charity for making this possible, we have been able to create opportunities for staff to prioritise their wellbeing, giving space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with colleagues. The feedback has shown us that even small moments of support can make a meaningful difference, and we’re proud to have taken a step towards changing the culture around mental health in the workplace.”