Merseyside Police chiefs in wellbeing rings study

Merseyside Police’s most senior officers are at the forefront of using wearable technology to track stress and fatigue, joining colleagues from a range of ranks trialling the devices.

Chief Constable Rob Carden, his deputy Paul White and five assistant chief constables will be the first force leadership team in the country to wear ultrahuman rings as part of an ongoing drive to prioritise officer wellbeing.

The chiefs will join several cohorts of rank-and-file officers on Merseyside who are already using wearable technology to monitor sleep, exercise, recovery and stress.

A recent report found that the proportion of officers to quit Merseyside Police is 11 per cent lower than the national average, and the expert who runs the monitoring is convinced Merseyside is ahead of the game in identifying those who are likely to reach burn-out and taking positive steps.

'Highly stressed'

The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a lightweight, comfortable, and durable smart ring focusing on health, sleep, and recovery tracking. It provides deep insights into metabolism and stress, making it an excellent alternative to smartwatches for continuous health monitoring

Professor Carol Cox, at Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies at Liverpool John Moores University, who last year led the trial of 120 officers and police staff, said: “Today’s officers are highly stressed with police suffering from levels of post-traumatic stress which are five times higher than in the general population.

The LJMU trial in 2025 found that more than nine out of 10 officers agreed that wearing the health biometrics technology made them more health aware, while more than seven out of 10 made real changes to their routines to improve personal wellbeing, including exercise, sleep hygiene and diet changes.

There is a level of reticence in asking men and women in tough jobs about their health

Professor Carol Cox, Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies

Professor Cox’s program supports officers by equipping them with a wearable device and following up with advice, support and coaching.

She added: “Yes, there is always a level of reticence in asking men and women in tough jobs about their health and fitness, so the buy-in from the Chief Constable and his team is a significant step in normalising these types of interventions. We are lucky on Merseyside to have an enlightened leadership that is fully behind support for staff wellbeing.

'Privacy and peer support'

Dr Esther Ingham, Force Psychologist at Merseyside Police, said: “We are committed to continually work to find ways of supporting, maintaining, and improving the holistic wellness of everyone within the organisation. This collaboration with LJMU is another exciting opportunity with heaps of potential to make use of new resources to meaningfully address this.’

Andy Rhodes OBE, Director of the National Police Wellbeing Service, known as Oscar Kilo, who has worked closely with Professor Cox, said: “All the work we have done testing out the latest technology with operational officers and staff tells us that people want privacy and peer support as well as relatable information.

“They also want to see their leaders walking the walk and being open to new ideas and innovation.

“Merseyside Police working with LJMU has been instrumental in breaking down barriers, building trust and evaluating the effectiveness of wearable tech so that we can all benefit.”

Main image: Chief Constable Rob Carden on a recent visit to LJMU's School of Law and Justice.

For further information, please contact:

• LJMU Press Officer, Gareth Hollyman
  • Email: g.b.hollyman@ljmu.ac.uk
  • Telephone: 07725 192767
• Merseyside Police News, Paul Turp
  • Email: Paul.Turp@merseyside.police.uk
  • Telephone: 0151 777 8575 or 07976 771270