GESH Health and Wellbeing Podcast

This episode is marking Grief Awareness Week, as we talk to colleagues who support staff and visitors through bereavement. In this episode, we talk about The language we use when talking about death When to seek help for bereavement How different hospital services support colleagues and visitors affected by the death of a loved one How grief evolves over time You will hear from Martin Connell, Staf Counsellor, St George's Hospital Rev Dr Mike Thornton, Deputy Head of Chaplaincy and Voluntary Services, gesh Lydia White, Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technologist, St George's Hospital Robin Dobinson, Mortuary Manager, St George's Hospital If you have experienced bereavement, you can access the following support resources. For everyone Cruse Charity helps with processing grief and provides a checklist of what to do when someone dies The Good Grief Trust offers a selection of support options for different circumstances and a search for local support options.  Gesh staff can access the following support (please search the intranet for contact details) Staff counselling service Chaplaincy and spiritual support Bereavement group at St George’s Hospital (please get in touch with the Staff Support team for details)

In this episode, we are talking to colleagues and one of the interns from DFN Project Search about the one-year transition to work programme for young adults with a learning disability and/or autism spectrum conditions they run at St George's Hospital. You can contact or find out more about DFN Project Search here: - Email: [email protected] or [email protected] - Phone number: 07360159940 - X: search_george - Instagram: projectsearchstgeorges - Facebook: Project Search at St George’s Hospital - Linkedin: DFN Project SEARCH St George’s - TikTok: dfnprojectsearchstg - Youtube: @projectsearch3056

In this episode we are talking to the Palliative Care at St George's Hospital, to spotlight the work they do as a part of Dying Matters Week. This year’s theme, ‘The way we talk about Dying Matters’, focuses on the language that we use, and conversations we have, around death and dying – specifically between healthcare professionals and patients, their carers and their families. In this episode, you will hear from three members of the Palliative Care Team who work together to support patients and their relatives at the end of life. We discuss what drew them to this work, how it shaped their view of death and dying, as well as the practicalities of their work and tips for supporting people experiencing bereavement. Warning: this episode discusses topics related to death, dying, and end-of-life care, which may be sensitive or distressing for some listeners. We understand that these conversations can evoke strong emotions, memories, or personal experiences. Please consider whether it is a good time for you to listen to this podcast and if you feel uncomfortable, please pause and seek support if needed. Your well-being is important to us, and we encourage self-care throughout our discussions. If you require support, please contact the following resources: For hospital staff, please contact Staff Support and Counselling team If you need bereavement support, please contact your GP Understanding grief and bereavement: https://www.cruse.org.uk Government bereavement help and support: https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/bereavement-help-and-support

The security team keeps our staff and patients safe on hospital sites 24/7, yet they are often unseen unless things go wrong. In this episode, we talk to the Security Supervisor at St George's to learn more about their work, the types of incidents they respond to, and tips for de-escalating a conflict.

We have launched a mindfulness series to invite you to take 5 minutes of your day to check in with yourself and how you are feeling today. In this series, we will focus on different emotions, so you can select the episode that resonates with you today. In the first episode of the series, our colleague from Staff Counselling takes you through guided meditation to recognise the joy in your life - you can listen to it on a break, while taking a walk or for a sit-down meditation.

In this episode, we are talking to Amandeep, a colleague working at St George's Hospital, who shares her experience of early menopause that started when she was 26 years old. (00:00) Introduction (00:45) First signs of menopause (01:13) The process of being diagnosed (02:44) Emotional side of being diagnosed with early menopause (03:19) Support for the psychological impact of early menopause (04:47) Seeking medical advice (05:20) Symptoms of menopause (06:10) Talking about symptoms at work (07:46) Uniqueness of menopause experience (08:34) Menopause and physical health (09:19) Lifestyle tips (09:42) Menopause and mental health (10:04) Supporting colleagues with menopause at work (11:20) Tips for talking about menopause (11:52) Early menopause and personal life (13:14) Lesson from going through early menopause (13:37) Advice for managers (14:05) Advice for women

In this episode, released for the World Menopause Day, we are talking to Alison, a colleague working in the NHS in South West London, who shares her experience of menopause at work and living with menopause while struggling with mental health. (00:00) Introduction (00:39) Job role and menopause experience (01:47) First signs of menopause (03:18) Diagnosis and medical advice (05:23) Menopause and mental illness  (06:36) Unique influences on menopause experience (07:55) Looking for support and information              (09:15) Menopause at work (11:42) Coping with symptoms (13:39) Support from the line manager (16:30) Support from colleagues (18:02) What helped at work (18:31) Menopause and personal life (20:14) The main lesson from menopause experience (21:47) Advice for managers (25:18) Advice for women (26:55) Final thoughts

In this episode, we are talking with John Greco, Head Gardner at St George’s hospital, about the grounds and their work to ensure the gardens offer relaxing and restorative spaces for staff and visitors and contribute to increasing biodiversity. Take this podcast with you on a walk around the gardens to learn more about specific areas. (00:00) Introduction (00:20) Introduction to the work of the gardening team at St George's (00:58) A walk around the garden, starting from the Hunter Arch corner, opposite the consultant car park (02:28) Effort Street ramp entrance (03:10) Cherry Tree Walk (opposite Effort Street entrance) (03:47) Maternity Garden (04:18) Memorial trees and benches (06:25) Lawn opposite from Grosvenor Wing towards Perimeter Road (07:20) Garden by the Pyramid building and Grosvenor Wing entrance (08:20) St James Wing entrance (09:06) Emergency Department entrance (10:14) Atkinson Morley Wing entrance (13:00) Chelsea Award Winning garden (13:33) Staff Blackshaw Annex Garden and Dementia Garden (15:17) Hunter Wing entrance (16:13) Lambert Water Garden (internal) (17:49) Walk on the Wild Side Garden (19:04) Biodiversity on site (20:18) London pollination path (23:03) The Giant Atlas Pine story (24:29) John's favourite summer space (25:18) John's favourite autumn space (26:12) John's favourite winter space (27:05) John's favourite spring space (27:59) Work with local communities (28:50) Garden planning (29:48) How staff can get involved (32:02) Getting started with gardening (33:09) Favourite thing about this job