“We are setting ourselves on fire to keep everyone else warm”—what does the recovery look like for NHS staff?

Dear Editor

This personal view from Pagel and Palmer is a timely one and one that needs voicing openly in all health and social care environments to show clear organisational compassion for the most important asset that exists within the NHS i.e. its people -see NHS people plan summary.

A brief pause of "rest and recovery" in each of the clinical and corporate business units then a staged approach over an agreed time period, focusing on a graduated return of high level case/corporate work bespoke to that unit first, may help to "calm the flames" and process the past pandemic journey and prepare for the next potential psychological one. Clear signposting for emotional wellbeing resources and allowing each health and social care individual to tread that pathway having agreed that with supervisory colleagues should help. This is what we as a trust at the highest level are currently exploring.

There are now 40 health and wellbeing resilience hubs being planned across the nation, being set up to support not only NHS but community & domiciliary care home workers and social work staff - I would hope these have clear evidence based therapies available, with timely access, with some fast tracking as necessary and people policies that support and recognise the last 12 months and prepare for the future 12-24 months.

Positive lessons and processes need to be learned and "locked in" for future generations and pandemic type scenarios. From an occupational health perspective, I view the "brief rest and pause" as temporary reasonable adjustments but on a mass employee scale. May I suggest that it might time to be "bold with actions" not just words.