NHS staff to be offered mental health support for Covid-19 'shell shock'

[Northerner]

All of the NHS’s 1.4 million staff will be offered free mental health support from Friday to help them cope with the “shell shock” of tackling Covid-19.

NHS staff will be given free access to a programme of more than 1,500 specialists, online therapy and group counselling sessions. They will also receive practical and financial assistance as well as specialist bereavement, psychological support and help with sleep problems.

“I don’t want to use war language, but when the crisis hits, we are likely to see NHS staff suffering symptoms similar to shell shock,” said Lucy Warner, chief executive of NHS Practitioner Health, which has set up the mental health side of the wellbeing programme.

Warner said this was a long-term programme. “Staff might not need this most badly in the immediate term, when the crisis hits because they’ll be so busy. But three to six months down the line … staff are likely to suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome.”

NHS staff to be offered mental health support for Covid-19 'shell shock'

Long-term programme of access to specialists, online therapy and group counselling sessions

www.theguardian.com

 

[nonethewiser]

Can't imagine stress & strain staff are under, with daily reports of more deaths in profession its worrying time for all, has to have long lasting effect even when pandemic is over.

Only hope lessons are learnt from governments who have under funded the nhs, it can't continue as who knows what's around corner after this is over, give it funds it needs to rebuild & take strain off staff who work in it & deserve better.

 

[Drummer]

My niece works on ambulances - she is taking people to hospital, separating couples who are having to say goodbye to each other for ever, taking away parents and children and leaving people who do not know if they are infected and will be taking the same journey eventually. That is on top of not knowing if she is fully protected or if she might be carrying the virus home to her family.
The medics will need help, and so will those who survive the illness or remain apparently untouched by the virus whilst those around them died.

 

[grovesy]

Can't imagine stress & strain staff are under, with daily reports of more deaths in profession its worrying time for all, has to have long lasting effect even when pandemic is over.

Only hope lessons are learnt from governments who have under funded the nhs, it can't continue as who knows what's around corner after this is over, give it funds it needs to rebuild & take strain off staff who work in it & deserve better.

I am afraid if it gets extra funding and staff get pay rises , it won't be maintained.

 

[mikeyB]

That's why the government likes volunteers working in the NHS. No employment rights, no sick pay, no working time regulation, no paid time off to look after Covid-19 stricken relatives. And, no doubt, no counselling. Cannon fodder. Or, if you are even more cynical, coffin jobs.