NHS staff mental health is one of the biggest casualties of the last year at The Royal Stoke
The Chief Executive reveals the true extent of the mental health crisis amongst staff
Last updated 22nd Mar 2021
One year on since the first coronavirus death at the The Royal Stoke Hospital, the Chief Executive of the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust reveals how over that time staff mental health has become one of the biggest casualties.
Doctors and nurses have treated 5,836 coronavirus patients over the last twelve months and since the first death a year ago, a further 1,364 covid patients have died in the hospitals wards.
Chief Executive Tracy Bullock said: "There are some staff such as those in critical care and our staff on the wards who have consistently looked after COVID patients now for over a year.
"They've held that anxiety about: Will I get it? Will it make me ill? ...watching patients very, very ill, some of them dying, and just being worked at a pressure and a rate that they've never experienced before. We've still got those staff who are still managing COVID patients at the moment."
"We've got staff who are tired, really tired. We've got staff who are still running on adrenaline. And at some point as our numbers continue to come down, that adrenaline will start to reduce. And, without a doubt, I am sure we will see some casualties with our staff in terms of their mental health well-being."
Mental health well-being and support for staff has been a priority at the hospital since March 2020, both at a Trust level and a departmental team level. Many wards have taken it upon themselves to initiate practice such as mindfulness and meditation and to create spaces to talk and boost morale with ward WhatsApp groups.
Tracy added: "There's a whole range of things that we've introduced additionally, since those that we introduced over a year ago. So we have psychological support offered by our neighbouring acute trust North Staffs Combined. That's 24/7 counselling support available for all staff.
"There's a whole range of well-being activities and things like rest facilities and rest pods. There's a whole range of well-being things that we've done, and it's almost like a pick and mix and they can take what they want."
Tracy said: "I think the hospital as a whole, we will dust ourselves off, we will get back to delivering business as usual. But I do think within that some of our people will have lasting damage. And some of those people will have lasting damage because they've had COVID. And they've got long COVID. Some of that lasting damage will be the PTSD, and just the psychological and emotional trauma of what they've been through over the last year.
There will be lasting damage with some individuals - and because we've got such great staff, I think at a team level, they will pick that up and make sure that we can continue to deliver for services for our patients and at an organisational level."
"What I'm asking staff to do now in particular, is to look out for their colleagues and those who might be quieter and those who might not be coming forward."