title: Measuring implementation of evidence-based guidance on promoting workers' health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The National Health Service (NHS) employs 1.4 million people in England. In health care, improved workforce health has been associated with improved outcomes for patients. The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced evidence-based guidance on improving workers' health. However, the extent of implementation of evidence-based guidance has not previously been measured.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure progress with implementation of NICE guidance on workplace health and identify opportunities to improve this.
  
  
  METHODS
  All NHS organizations in England were invited to participate in an audit of implementation of NICE guidance. A web-based tool was developed to collect information on the extent to which each organization had implemented NICE guidance addressing health promotion in the workplace.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of organizations that participated was 282. These employed a total of 868 979 workers. Organizations were more likely to involve staff in planning and designing an organizational approach to each topic where health and well-being was a regular board agenda item. Those with an overarching strategy were more likely to have staff health and well-being as a regular board agenda item (P < 0.05) and more likely to have specific policies for obesity, physical activity and promoting mental well-being (all P <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of NICE guidance on health at work is incomplete across the NHS in England. Implementation was more complete where boards were leading health and well-being plans and the workforce were actively involved. There is scope to improve the implementation of evidence-based guidance to improve workers' health.
authors.affiliation: Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Middlewich Road, Crewe, Cheshire, UK. rmpreece@btinternet.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Preece
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roughton
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006282:Health Personnel; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000592:standards*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013222:State Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace