Wellbeing and mental health for Paramedics and Ambulance Staff 
This page is provided in collaboration with the College of Paramedics to help you access the range of support services available for Paramedics, we will continue to update this page with other services that can help you at this time.
Even before Covid-19, paramedics have had to contend with highly stressful jobs leading to high rates of mental illness. Issues like long hours, staff shortages and the mental demands of the job place an enormous burden on ambulance workers.
The role of the paramedic, unlike any other in the medical profession involves them working in a wide range of environments and patient populations. The average member of the public might only ever experience one maybe two traumatic situations in their lifetime whereas paramedics are exposed to distressing and traumatic events on a much more frequent basis.
As first responders paramedics have to make life or death decisions.They must comfort the seriously ill and create an air of calmness when all around are fearful and confused. They face the tragedy of premature and often violent death. They must break bad news. They must deal with dangerous situations and place themselves, literally as well as metaphorically in the front line of attack.
If you recognise any of these issues and feel like you may need some support with your mental wellbeing take a look at the range of resources below.
Ambulance Service Common Room
NHS Practitioner Health, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be hosting ambulance specific support groups which allows you to come together and support each other during this difficult time. The ambulance common rooms are a safe and supportive environment through which colleagues can continue to stay mentally well.To join one of these session please follow the link the workforce wellbeing events page, all sessions are located via the online calendar.
Please see a link to the 'Ambulance Service Common Room' poster: Ambulance Service Common Room
Guidance on managing your health
Having difficulty with your mental health is not an automatic reason to self-refer to HCPC. You are able to use your professional judgement to make an informed and reasoned decision about whether your health condition affects your ability to practise safely and effectively. Adverse physical or mental health only becomes a regulatory issue if it is not being managed appropriately and consequently poses a risk to patients.
Download this poster for more information Click here
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The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC)
At The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC), we’re passionate about caring for the mental, physical and financial wellbeing of those who care for us. Because they care, we care. Supporting the ambulance community during times of need.
Access to Therapy
Frontline19 free online wellbeing support
Mental health and emotional wellbeing support service set up by therapists to support frontline staff, working in partnership with Helpforce. Visit Frontline19.com to be quickly matched with a professional psychologist, counsellor or psychotherapist offering free online sessions.
Free one to one support sessions with Project5
Project5 is a bespoke acute crisis response service, which will give NHS staff access to free one-to-one support sessions with either accredited clinical psychologists, mental health experts or coaches via an online booking system.
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Free therapy sessions for NHS workers from Harley Therapy
Free therapy sessions for NHS workers from qualified therapists at Harley Therapy With over 250 five star reviews, Harley Therapy is the place to book psychotherapy and counselling with the UK's top therapists.
Free sessions for NHS workers from Welldoing
Welldoing.org therapists are offering free sessions to NHS staff at this time. All therapists have been verified and are members of their appropriate professional bodies
The Relational School - an online psychological support plan for all NHS staff involved in the current COVID-19 crisis
The Relational School is a group of counsellors and psychotherapists who have joined forces to offer free of charge psychological support to doctors, nurses, all other NHS staff who are engaged in the front line whilst facing the challenging realities of the COVID-19 crisis.
Heather Wellbeing - Free Therapy & Wellbeing Support for frontline NHS staff
Therapy is provided online and over the phone through Heather’s network of professional psychotherapists that are volunteering for this initiative. There are already over 200 fully qualified psychotherapists registered and ready to help.
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Body and Soul - Therapeutic Support
Body & Soul is an award-winning charity that provides therapeutic support for people who have experienced complex trauma – bereavement, sexual abuse, life-threatening illness, domestic violence etc. We have 100-plus fully-qualified psychotherapists offering FREE telephone sessions with ‘any NHS worker and close family’ who feels overwhelmed. It’s really easy to book on your phone. You’ll also have access to resources for children as well as follow-up psychological support down the line, should you need it.
Duty to Care
Duty To Care provides access for NHS workers to free online sessions to improve and sustain mental health and wellbeing. Simply by registering with your NHS email on the Duty To Care website you will have access to instant help and support from CBT therapists; Psychotherapists; Mindfulness teachers; Meditation experts; Breath-work experts; Homeopaths; Immunologists; Nutrition coaches; Hypnotherapists and Healers.
Online support
Our NHS people
Helping you manage your own health and wellbeing whilst looking after others.
The Help Hub
The Help Hub has been set up to support individuals who find themselves with limited contact due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus, for those who may need someone to talk to or listen to them at what is an anxious time for all of us. The network of therapists are aiming to provide a free service for as many people as possible by listening, supporting and helping where they can.
Combat Stress
Combat Stress is the UK’s leading charity for veterans and service personnel’s mental health. Combat Stress offer a range of treatment services in the community, at their specialist centres, on the phone and online, they develop a personalised programme for each veteran's individual needs.
Wellbeing resources and practical help
Resilient Practice
Resilient Practice' was formed to raise awareness of the importance of personal resilience in modern life. We will show you how to measure your current resilience with our Resilience Gap Analysis and provide you with the opportunity to improve your self-awareness. You will learn about a range of practical skills from which you can create your own bespoke resilience toolkit.
Bridge4 Exercise with Physios
Enjoy the health benefits of safe, science-based exercise for free! Bridge4 is a unique health and fitness studio based at Birstall, Leicestershire. Everything they do is guided by science and led by physiotherapists. Because the studio is closed due to Covid-19, their specialist exercise physiotherapists have created a number of live online classes, via Zoom, to help everyone exercise during this difficult period. Whatever your level, there is a class for you to join. Their on-screen expert physios will keep your body moving!
Beat COVID: Get Prepared
A campaign put together by NHS front line staff, who have generously volunteered their time. Beat COVID: Get Prepared is an online platform designed to help healthcare workers keep a healthy mind and body during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are daily content from expert contributors who have kindly volunteered their time, many of whom are BMA members. It is a collection of Mindfulness, Home workouts, Yoga sequences, Sleep tips and Nutrition advice, all geared towards quarantine and COVID related issues.
Practical Support
National Health Supporters is a network of healthcare students around the country, who aim to assist with the needs of NHS staff to alleviate pressures on them including, but not exclusive to, childcare, grocery shopping and pet sitting during these difficult times.
NHS Mental Health Apps resource
An A to Z list of free and chargeable Apps that have been assessed against a range of NHS standards.