LETTER: Staff wellbeing top priority for NHS

As the UK eases lockdown and the number of Covid-19 cases continues to fall, NHS workers in the West Midlands will continue to be on the frontline of this pandemic risking serious illness of themselves and their families – potentially storing up trauma for the future. It is likely that the worst of the mental health consequences on the NHS workforce may be yet to come.

A recent survey by the BMA found that 46 per cent of doctors in the West Midlands are suffering from work-related anxiety, burnout and depression, while this number is also almost half for England (45 per cent). And 36 per cent of these West Midlands doctors say this has worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 has undoubtedly put a huge strain on the health and wellbeing of NHS staff. It has greatly exacerbated the challenges staff faced before the pandemic and now it is adding significant new ones.

Many doctors have experienced a significant rise in their workload and have had to deal with the added anxiety of concerns over PPE and their own safety while delivering care on the frontline during the pandemic.

It is unacceptable that 46 per cent of frontline workers in the West Midlands are carrying this burden.

The NHS must step up its mental health support offer to all staff in the West Midlands during and after this pandemic. Supporting the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of the workforce must be a top priority for the NHS for the long-term.

Dr Stephen Millar, BMA West Midlands Regional Chair