Hospital finalist in the Laing and Buisson Independent Healthcare Award

We are delighted to announce that Holly House Hospital has been shortlisted as a finalist in the prestigious Laing and Buisson Independent Healthcare Awards.  Our entry into the ‘Clinical Outcomes’ category focused on our very successful stress management programme, called ‘The Calm Choice’.

‘The Calm Choice’ is a new initiative which was set up in September 2012.  Stress is a major problem of the 21st century, estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) show that the total number of cases of stress in 2011/12 was 428,000 (40%) out of a total of 1,073,000 of all work-related illnesses.  These statistics were being reflected at Holly House with stress having a major negative influence on the clinical outcomes of many of our patients, particularly those suffering from neck/shoulder pains, jaw pain, cervicogenic headaches and low back pains.  After participating in ‘The Calm Choice’ programme, a clinical review and follow-up audit of patients suggest a significant improvement in their long-term outcome.

The programme was developed using evidence based techniques that have been shown to assist with the management of personal stress.  Our stress management programme is a series of four 90-minute evening sessions run over consecutive weeks.  Each participant has a 1:1 session pre and post the course to ascertain their individual needs and outcome of the service.  With a common theme of increased self-awareness, the class combines the four main evidence based areas of yoga, breath work, meditation and cognitive behavioural therapy. There has been a unanimously positive reaction from patients to the programme, and also many local GP’s and hospital consultants.

Mr Nayeem Ali, Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, has said: “Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome is a common condition resulting in pain and impaired function of the lower jaw.  Patients also often get neck, shoulder and back pain.  In many patients the condition is caused by jaw clenching and muscle tension secondary to stress.  I have found the course at Holly House Hospital, a very effective way of reducing the causative symptoms when used as part of a treatment programme.”

The winner of the award will be announced in October.