Speaking at a conference last week, ahead of World Mental Health Day, the Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens said the new scheme will provide “a safe, confidential non-stigmatising service” for doctors to turn to when they are struggling and need help.
“It means the NHS will now have the most comprehensive national mental health support offer to doctors of any country’s health system in the world,” added Mr Stevens.
The announcement comes as a new report by the Society of Occupational Medicine and the mental wellbeing charity, the Louise Tebboth Foundation, warns doctors in the UK are at greater risk of work-related stress, burnout and depression than the rest of the population.
In particular, the report warns that high workloads, the growing intensity of the work and low levels of support are all increasing the risk of mental health problems among GPs.
And it claims the stigma associated with disclosing mental health problems mean many doctors are reluctant to seek help in case they face sanctions or lose their job.
In September, a senior figure in the NHS has warned that doctors are at an “incredibly high risk” of mental illness.
Speaking on BBC1’s Victoria Derbyshire programme. the Medical Director of the NHS Practitioner Health Programme (PHP), Dr Clare Gerada also said female doctors have up to four times the risk of suicide in comparison to people in the general population.
“Whilst initiatives to treat and support doctors who are struggling are to be welcomed, what is needed is to develop a healthy working environment,” said Louise Tebboth Foundation Chair, Dr Alex Freeman.
“Prevention should be taken seriously, at all stages of a doctor’s career. The level of suicide in the profession is of major concern, and support for the bereaved workplace affected by such suicides is lacking. The concerns in the report must be taken seriously.”
The Chief Executive of NHS Employers, Danny Mortimer added the report is a reminder of the “hugely stressful work all our staff undertake on behalf of society”.
“The findings also remind us how important it is that all health care professionals feel able to open up about mental ill-health or excessive pressure they are experiencing,” added Mr Mortimer.
The full report – What could make a difference to the mental health of UK doctors? A review of the research evidence – is available to read online.
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
