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H A L T 2020 A simple tool that puts a spotlight on some of the physical and mental elements that commonly affect wellbeing and performance Use HALT as your reminder to pause and to plan and prioritise the daily pauses that we all need

DNUORGK CAB Our inspiration comes from a similar campaign that is currently being led by Guy s Thomas NHS Foundation Trust We believe that veterinary professionals are affected by many of the same working pressures as those within the human healthcare sector Working in collaboration with Dr Mike Farquhar a leading sleep researcher at Guy s and St Thomas we have aligned our campaign with theirs and have received insights from their experience Our vision at VetLed is to inspire create and champion positive veterinary culture for our people our patients and our profession We want this message to reach everyone within the profession and to ensure that all practices and organisations have equal access to the support materials As part of VetLed s focus on enhancing performance in practice we continue to promote our HALT Campaign nationwide It is driven by our patient safety human factors and strategic communications experts with the aim to reinforce the importance of physical and mental wellbeing within our profession Unless critically ill patients require your immediate attention our patients are always better served by clinicians who have had appropriate periods of rest during their shifts Dr Mike Farquhar Consultant in Sleep Medicine at Guy s St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust

T L A H SI T A H W HALT is a simple self care tool HALT is also An acronym A simple tool that puts a spotlight on some of the physical and mental elements that commonly affect wellbeing and performance A reminder to pause as well as plan and prioritise those daily pauses that we all need H A L T ungry and or thirsty ngry and or anxious ate and or lonely ired Does HALT make a difference to how we perform HALT has been used in many contexts for decades as a reminder of key aspects that can leave us vulnerable In our environment the HALT factors affect how we physically and mentally feel and function and therefore how we perform clinically This subsequently has an impact on patient safety and our performance in practice HALT serves as a reminder to prioritise our own wellbeing alongside that of our patients Self care is anything but selfish

E S U A P E SI TI R OI R P N A L P The HALT acronym helps us to remember what Human Factors are in play affecting our clinical performance personal wellbeing and even patient safety But what now We ve recognised there s an issue It s important to mitigate against these factors or resolve them We can do this by scheduling breaks But how can we achieve this in a busy practice Remember the three Ps P Plan out your team s breaks at the start of the day think ahead so breaks are designed not to disrupt the day This doesn t need to take long Hold each other accountable for actually taking them That way they will be more likely to happen P Breaks even for a very short time are important They improve performance safety and team dynamics Prioritise scheduling breaks Breaks are especially important to mitigate the effects of being hungry thirsty anxious angry late lonely and or tired It is important to acknowledge that these factors are at play and can negatively affect your performance P Take your break Support each other to take your break It is good to HALT Can you mitigate any of the HALT factors now After even a very short break you will be more energised and alert less prone to error and perform more effectively Team leaders can lead by example in making sure they HALT

TI O D OT W O H How might you support HALT happening at your practice Morning Huddle Break planning This could be in the morning before work begins before a certain shift or at any convenient time at the beginning of a day Ideally it will involve everyone in the practice or a working team for a larger hospital and only needs to be a few minutes Planning out the day including short breaks offers many benefits such as making what might initially seem like an unrealistic workload more realistic Some work could be re distributed for example and team members have the chance to support each other when facing a heavy workload This is something which may not seem reasonable or normal until it becomes the norm The key ingredients are open communication common language and a willingness and openness to discussing things and sharing concerns This will look different in each veterinary practice make it work for yours Also once a break lunch is planned you are subconsciously far less likely not to take it Make yourself accountable to taking the break to which you have committed Be accountable to one another for taking breaks This also involves remaining accountable to yourself Ask yourself if are you taking your break And if not why not Be inquisitive are your colleagues taking their planned breaks If not why not And if you are in leadership have you thought about the effect on your team of leading by example Teams that are not hungry thirsty anxious angry late lonely and or tired are better performing more productive and safer teams

For more information on the HALT 2020 Campaign visit our website drop us an email or follow us on social media vetled co uk info vetled co uk VetLedteam vetledteam VetLedteam VetLed H A L T 2020