NHS: Staff

(asked on 2nd April 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to help NHS staff experiencing (a) stress and (b) depression.


Answered by
Stephen Hammond Portrait
Stephen Hammond
This question was answered on 10th April 2019

Supporting the mental health of National Health Service staff is the responsibility of NHS employers. NHS trusts are being supported to do this through the NHS staff health and wellbeing framework and NHS Improvement’s NHS staff health and wellbeing collaborative. Both incorporate the mental health standards in ‘Thriving at Work – a review of mental health and employers’ produced by Mind.

Recommendations from the ‘NHS Staff and Learner Mental Wellbeing Programme’ report are being prioritised. The report contained recommendations to support improved mental wellbeing and address gaps or deficiencies in the system, including:

- the introduction of the Well Being Guardian in every NHS trust and for primary care at a local level to be determined;

- the development of personal wellbeing supervisors for learners that are distinct from those assessing the learner and check-ins with those tutors within two weeks of placement;

- a national NHS protocol implemented in every NHS organisation to independently examine the death by suicide of any member of NHS staff or a learner working in the NHS; and

- the creation of/facilitating access to ‘safe spaces’ which are accessible to all to be used for reflection, learning and during breaks.

The Workforce Implementation Plan (WIP) announced in the NHS Long Term Plan is prioritising recommendations from Health Education England’s ‘Mental Health Commission on NHS staff and learners’ which should give staff access to board level Well Being Guardians and personal wellbeing supervisors, complementing work with the Care Quality Commission and NHS Improvement to ensure staff have high quality supportive supervision and are not asked to work excessive hours. Staff now report any pressure to work excessive hours to the Guardian of Safe Working.

The WIP is also expected to include proposals for making the NHS the best place to work with further commitments to improve staff health and wellbeing, tackling violence, abuse and bullying of staff and provide better opportunities for flexible working.

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