Accessing The Service

 

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  • Non Medical or Dental Staff in England
 

NHS Practitioner Health (NHSPH) is pleased to be partnering with NHS England and the local mental health and wellbeing hubs to ensure the NHS workforce can access the mental health care and support they need at this very difficult time.

NHS PH is a primary care led mental health assessment and treatment service established to care for NHS professionals and has over 12 years’ experience providing care to health professionals with mental health problems, including addiction issues. We have a network of clinicians (GPs, psychiatrists and mental health nurses) and therapists across England who are able to offer care and treatment for a range of mental health issues. We are not an occupational health service but are able to work with OH services to support practitioners remaining or returning to work. NHS PH is not a crisis or emergency service and patients with active suicidal thoughts will be redirected to local CMHT services where care can be provided out of hours. We are aware that each hub will be establishing its own support and pathways to access care, including routes to access mental health treatment via GPs or IAPT services, however for some members of the workforce these may not be appropriate and NHS Practitioner Health will be able to offer a route to assessment and treatment. To ensure that a member of staff is directed to the most appropriate route to care each hub will carry out the following simple suitability assessment prior to signposting them to our service.

 

How to access the service

Other staff (particularly those in senior roles or in primary care who may face the most barriers) who have tried but have been unable to access confidential care through local mental health

services or wellbeing hubs can also self-refer, and the service will assess if they are able to offer a route to treatment, or it signposting to an alternate confidential support offer would be beneficial.

 

Suitability assessment

Doctors, dentists, individuals in senior roles, and those working in primary care are likely to face the biggest barriers to accessing confidential care. These individuals can self-refer, and we will assess if Practitioner Health is able to help, or if signposting to an alternate confidential support offer would be beneficial.

A doctor speaking to a patient

  1. Is the staff member currently receiving care for the issue they have sought help for?
    (If yes they would not be eligible for NHS PH as the service is meant as an alternative route for those who cannot access care for legitimate reasons e.g. confidentiality)
  2. Are there legitimate reasons why this individual cannot access NHS care via their own GP or other local NHS mental health services?
  3. Is the individual a member of a regulated profession and/or in a senior position with their  organisation?
    (NHS PH also has particular expertise in supporting individuals in regulated  professions and in supporting them to continue in safe, effective practice where appropriate)

Once the suitability assessment is completed, please complete the registration forms below.

 

Registration forms

If you are eligible, complete our online form to register with the service. It is essential that you complete both sets of forms to enable us to register you into the service and ensure you are provided with the support you need.

If you have any difficulties accessing or completing the forms, or would prefer to speak to someone in the service please call us on 0300 0303 300. (Monday – Friday 8am-8pm, Sat 8-2pm)

Registration and wellbeing assessment forms

Following your registration, you can find more information on our patient pathway.

 

Support in an emergency or crisis

The WSS is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis or feel unsafe or at risk to yourself or others, then you should contact 111 or 999, your own GP or attend your nearest Emergency Department as soon as possible.

NHS PH does provide a 24/7 crisis text service and you can access this by texting "NHSPH" to 85258.

The Samaritans can also provide confidential support and are open 24 hours a day.

Tel: 0161 236 8000 (local call charges apply) or 116 123 (free to call).

 

Other Support for NHS staff

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