Shadow mental health minister along with a&E physician Rosena Allin-Khan has written towards the Health Secretary Matt Hancock to find assurances that medics are becoming the support they require.
Within the letter, she stated the worry of distributing herpes to patients and family members, too little PPE, an elevated workload and witnessing more patients die had to have their toll.
Dr Allin-Khan requested Mr Hancock to stipulate what provisions have established yourself to aid the mental health of frontline staff, and known as around the Government to write real-time data on suicide figures.
She stated it had been “clear” from conversations with colleagues and unions that there’s a “rise in suicides, self-harm and suicidal ideation among frontline NHS and care staff”.
“It is essential that to be able to tackle this, there’s real-time data to know where particular pinch points might be where sources have to be directed,” she authored.
Dr Allin-Khan also stated the requirement for speaking therapies is “now more essential than ever”, but additionally advised the federal government to make sure publish-traumatic stress disorder (Post traumatic stress disorder) support is within place when the acute stage has ended.
She authored: “Increasingly, NHS staff are breaking lower – I view it first-hands working shifts.
“From anxiety when distributing herpes to patients and family members, too little PPE, an elevated workload because of the amount of cases and staff absences, to being redeployed to ICUs and witnessing more patients die – staff have greater pressure, that is inevitably taking its toll on their own mental health.
“At this time around of crisis, staff mental health should be important now. It really can’t be an afterthought when the acute stage from the crisis has ended.”
