UK airline staff are jetting in to help University Hospital of North Midlands (UHNM) employees kick back and relax before a busy Winter.

'Project Wingman' is a national initiative led by airline teams who have been furloughed, grounded, or made redundant due to the pandemic.

It means staff from across the UK's airline industry were on-hand to offer UHNM staff the chance to de-stress in the 'First Class Lounge' at Royal Stoke University Hospital, as a 'thank you' for their hard work in combatting Covid-19.

The project marks the start of the Wellbeing Festival at UHNM, which aims to provide support, comfort and advice to hardworking hospital employees.

Debbie Preece, an operating department practitioner in the Theatres department at UHNM, has previously worked as a flight attendant for Virgin Atlantic. She played a key role in helping to launch the project at UHNM.

Debbie said: "Project Wingman is a group of crew from across every airline in the UK. They are united by their profession and by the challenges they face in this crisis and are dedicated to serving NHS staff during this unprecedented time.

"In the airline industry, you are trained to be able to support people, so airline crew have the skills needed to help those in need of a boost.

"The crews really want to help in any way they can and in this case, it's by providing a safe space for staff to unwind.

"I have worked in both fields and I know that people working medically need to be able to talk about their job with others who can empathise.

She continued: "Our fellow uniformed professionals understand what it is like to operate in a highly disciplined, regulated and pressured environment, so whether it's talking to a cabin crew member about their travels, or being handed a cup of tea by a pilot, dedicated crews of the airline industry will be helping put smiles on the faces of NHS workers across the country."

A range of virtual interactive events are also on offer at UHNM throughout September and October, including webinars, training sessions and online yoga classes. Face-to-face health checks covering blood pressure, cholesterol, diet, sleep and more will also be on offer and the UHNM Staff Survey 2020 will give staff an opportunity to express their views and speak up about any concerns.

Ro Vaughan, Director of Human Resources, said: "Our staff work so hard here and, like everyone, they've had a really challenging few months.

"We know it's not going to be an easy Winter, so we're taking advantage of the time we have now to provide a little bit of precious down-time.

"We've tried to cover a range of topics with our wellbeing festival – basically, we're really doing our best to care for staff mentally and emotionally, as well as physically.

"We want to encourage staff to take advantage of all of these provisions and would especially like to see as many as possible complete the staff survey, because this is a prime opportunity to make their voices heard."

He added: "We want to reassure staff that any physical events, such as Project Wingman, will be carried out in a safe and secure way.

"Social distancing will be strictly enforced and a track-and-trace system will be in place. Hand sanitizer and a cleaning station will be made available and all tables and chairs will be cleaned between sittings.

"A wellbeing representative will be also available for any needed one-to-one support."