As the nation once again clapped for carers last night, the terrible toll the coronavirus fight is taking on our frontline NHS workers’ mental health was revealed.
Hundreds of thousands of people joined the eighth weekly celebration of the nation’s carers including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and fiancee Carrie Symonds, but mental health charity the Laura Hyde Foundation said increasing numbers are suffering problems so acute they need clinical treatment.
The charity, which provides mental health support to medical and emergency services staff, said it had seen an 88 per cent spike in calls from frontline workers presenting symptoms of serious conditions, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The charity claims many NHS trusts don’t provide adequate mental health support for staff, while many workers fear reprisals from bosses if they admit they are not coping.
So far more than 160 frontline NHS and care workers have died during the pandemic.
In Clacton-on-Sea hundreds lined the streets to pay their respects to “superhuman” GP Dr Karamat Ullah Mirza, who died from Covid-19 after serving his community for decades.
The 84-year-old, who came to the UK in 1966, had “enormous determination”, his wife Estelle Mirza said.
“He would fight to the end of the Earth for his patients and was so dedicated to them.”
They were married for 48 years.
In Derby, family and friends paid tribute to Norman Austria, 61, who passed away on Wednesday after several weeks of battling the disease.
Mr Austria, originally from the Philippines, worked at the Royal Derby Hospital and was described as a “loved and respected” colleague.
Shirley, his wife of 40 years, said he was a “wonderful husband”. He is the fourth staff member from UHDB to die.
Alanzo Smith, 62, from Chingford, North East London, died on Sunday at the University College Hospital in London.
His twin brother Spurgeon said Alanzo had been in hospital since April 14.
He said Alanzo’s family had last seen him a week before he died.
Alanzo moved to the UK from Jamaica aged 14.
“He would go in even when he was off work, he was dedicated” said Spurgeon.
Alanzo had worked at the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust for 22 years.
Dr Thaung Htaik, 65, a consultant in general medicine, died earlier this week. The grandfather-of-three worked at the Great Western Hospitals Trust in Swindon, Wilts.
His family said he was a “beloved husband, father and grandfather.”
The Laura Hyde Foundation is now calling on the government to ensure sufficient support to health care staff around the country, warning of a mental health crisis among NHS staff over the coming months even as Covid-19 cases drop.
Liam Barnes, the charity’s CEO, said: “We are seeing a lot of symptoms of grief, guilt, or perceived weakness.
“NHS staff are telling us, ‘I feel like I’ve let my family down by being away from them’, ‘I feel I’m failing in my job because patients are dying all around me and I’m not allowed to let their family see them’.
“They are reporting sleeping too much, sickness, vomiting and shaking, anxiety of going back into the ward because of the level of trauma associated with that environment - all classic symptoms of mental health issues.
“This is only just the start. We’re about to see a peak in mental health issues in the NHS in the next six to 12 months.”
He added: “NHS trusts, like any other large employer, needs to provide a minimum level of mental health support for staff.
“But while there are some trusts which provide it, others don’t, there is no standard.
"And there is still a stigma attached to mental health issues which mean many staff members feel they cannot go to their trust to discuss their problems.”
Today (Friday) it is launching a campaign called ‘No Mask for Mental Health’ to reminding the nation that once lockdown lifts, and the risks of catching the disease begin to fall, life doesn’t simply go back to normal for those who’ve worked tirelessly to care for others under the most difficult circumstances.
In one TV advert for the campaign a stressed nurse looking after dying Covid-19 patients asks: “How do I choose who to stay with? They’re both going. I don’t want either of them to be alone.I’ve never felt this helpless. I’ll never get my head round it. I’m a paediatrician for god’s sake. I’m not used to all this death. Why does anyone think this isn’t bad!? Three other nurses have cried already this morning. I’ll have a wee cry myself this evening. another day, another battle.”
As well a TV and radio campaign to raise awareness of the mental toll of the coronavirus outbreak on medical professionals, the charity has also released filters on Instagram and Snapchat featuring an upside-down rainbow smile, for people to show their support for NHS staff.
Jennifer Hawkins, the foundation’s clinical lead and a mental health nurse, said that since the start of the coronavirus crisis they had received more than 2,000 calls from desperate workers asking for help.
She said: “What we hear is, ‘Please help me, I don’t know where to turn, I don’t know where to go.
“These are professionals who love their job but are underworked, don’t have the equipment they need, and are being put in situations where they shouldn’t be.
“We are seeing high levels of anxiety, depression, separation anxiety and stress, and the more serious conditions that can happen when these escalate, such as bipolar and severe anxiety disorders.
“It makes me frustrated and upset for the individual that it has come to this. Why should they have to become unwell before they get the help they need?”
Ms Hawkins said that while NHS staff appreciate the support of the public and weekly claps, for many being labelled a ‘hero’ can put them under great pressure.
She said: “The clapping has undoubtedly raised morale, but they don’t really want to be called heroes.
"It’s important to remember that they are human beings, with the same fears and worries as everyone else.
“It’s very difficult for them to live up to those expectations of being a hero.
“If the public would like to do more to champion NHS workers, they can join us in demanding that every trust provide proper mental health support for their staff, so they can get support in confidence without fear of reprisals.
"We’re not asking for anything extra, it is what any caring employer would provide for their staff, but what many NHS workers who most need it right now don’t have.”
- To donate to the Laura Hyde Foundation, visit the charity's website
- To use the Instragram filter, click here
