The NHS is supporting staff who have pushed their minds and bodies to the limit over the last year to look after their mental health, as 40 dedicated support hubs are set to open across the country.
As part of the health service response to this pressure, staff will be offered access to evidence-based mental health services at one of 40 hubs.
Staff can access services over the phone with onward referral to online and one-to-one expert help from qualified mental health clinicians, therapists, recovery workers and psychologists.
The hubs are free of charge and offer confidential advice and support to NHS staff who for the last year have cared for millions of people with coronavirus while keeping vital services like maternity, mental health and cancer care going.
NHS staff will be encouraged to reach out directly for help, but hubs will proactively contact staff groups who are most at-risk to offer them support so they get the care they need as quickly as possible.
The NHS’ National Mental Health Director, Claire Murdoch, said:
NHS staff are used to dealing with the extremes of life on a daily basis, but this year has been exceptional, and in what is likely to be the toughest year in their career, staff have put their minds and bodies to the limit treating hundreds of thousands of seriously ill-patients with Covid-19.
So it is vital that the people that played such a big role getting this country through the pandemic are given additional support, and I would urge anyone working in the NHS whether you are a porter, a nurse, paramedic or other role to please ask for help from one of our 40 mental health support hubs as they open over the coming weeks.
Mental health and wellbeing hubs are starting to open across the country.
There is already a range of support services available to NHS workers include:
- a dedicated health and care staff support service including confidential support via phone and text message. So far, these services have been used 12,000 times.
- a specialist bereavement support helpline for those who have sadly lost friends and family (so far 280 people)
- a specialist app for Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues, Liberate, to manage anxiety and stress levels (1,200 downloads since August)
- online resources, guidance, and webinars, (accessed over 700,000 times)
