BENEFITS OF EXERCISE ON PRESCRIPTION PROGRAMME AS PART OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES

Musculoskeletal disorders and depression are two leading causes of sickness absence in the United Kingdom. This can be personal distress for employees and very costly to organizations. The benefits of exercise for treating these health problems are well-executed. This has led to exercise on prescription programmes being developed in many health settings. The aim of this project was to explore the potential benefits of providing an exercise for prescription intervention as part of an occupational health service provided by the North London NHS Foundation Trust. Over a period of 12 months, 34 staff members were referred to the programme. Nearly half of the staff members (n=16) attended the exercise programme because of the referral. Ten staff members completed all eight sessions offered and six staff members completed on average four sessions of the exercise programme. Staff members who completed all eight sessions reported beneficial effects on both their physical and psychological wellbeing which contributed to a positive impact on their work performance and attendance. All staff members who completed the exercise programme stated that they would recommend it to other staff members