The NHS achieves extraordinary things for patients, but this is only possible if the safety, health and wellbeing of our people is recognised as a key priority. If we don’t look after ourselves and our colleagues, we cannot deliver safe, high quality patient care.
The pandemic has had a significant physical, mental and psychological impact on our people – and this will continue for some time to come. It has never been more important for all our NHS people to take time to look after their own health and wellbeing. Our varied support offers are here to stay, and they will remain here for you to access when needed and support you on your wellbeing journey, or to seek further help at the point at which it is needed. Leaders, teams and employers are encouraged to offer their colleagues support to stay well at work, and to keep offering it consistently – across teams, organisations and sectors, in order to sustain the ability to care for patients, long term.
The national health and wellbeing programme was set up prior to the pandemic in 2019 to specifically support the wellbeing of our NHS people. The programme is split into a number of key areas and you can read more about each programme and access nationally published guidance through the links above.
There are also a range of national programmes that aim to support organisations and leaders to look after the health and wellbeing of their colleagues. Remember – looking after yourself when looking after others is really important, and it’s ok to ask for help. We encourage you to also seek your local health and wellbeing support offers within your own organisations.
Please be assured that access to any of the national support offers is confidential and no personal identifiable information will be shared with your employer.