Fresh help for NHS staff traumatised by pandemic

Mental health and well-being hubs offering staff confidential advice and support set to open

NHS England is launching dedicated support hubs to help staff who have been traumatised by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The mental health and well-being hubs are opening over the next few weeks across the country in places such as North East London, Bedfordshire and Lancashire, with a total of 40 planned.

Eight out of ten nurses say their mental health has been affected by pandemic

NHS staff will be encouraged to contact the hubs directly for help, but the centres will also contact staff groups to offer support.

The free service will offer confidential advice and support to NHS staff. The hubs have been modelled on the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub, set up to treat those affected by the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, including NHS staff.

The Manchester hub has also been helping NHS staff throughout the pandemic and has so far supported more than 4,200 health and social care staff.

• RELATED: ‘Flashbacks and depression’: depleted nurses talk about their health as cases surge

Eight out of ten of the 1,650 respondents to a Nursing Standard survey in November last year said their mental health had been affected by the pandemic. Six in ten said their physical health was suffering.

A dedicated NHS staff mental health helpline with a 24/7 text service was set up last year to offer nurses psychological support, along with signposting to specialist services. NHS England said the service had been used 12,000 times.

• RELATED: COVID-19: psychological distress higher for nurses than their colleagues – review

Ttimely access to mental health and well-being support

The RCN has highlighted the importance of nursing staff having timely and ongoing access to services to support their mental health and well-being. RCN members can get free, confidential support about emotional issues through the college’s phone counselling service.

NHS England’s national mental health director Claire Murdoch said NHS staff had pushed themselves to the limit treating hundreds of thousands of seriously ill COVID-19 patients. She urged NHS staff to ask for help if needed from the new hubs as they open.

• RELATED: Thousands of NHS workers turn to COVID-19 mental health helpline

Find out more

RCN Counselling Service

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