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NHS England Closes Down Mental Health Support Services For GPs & Hospital Doctors

Suicide prevention support no longer available to NHS GPs, Hospital Doctors, and Dentists

NHS England has issued a notice to all NHS clinicians and GPs to advise them that the mental health support service specifically designed to support their mental health is closed from 15th April 2024!

From that date, no hospital doctors or GPs can use the service, even if they have a mental health crisis!

Existing users of the service will continue to be supported, but it will eventually be closed even to them in 2025.

With the suicide of at least one GP every 3 weeks, and 1 nurse taking their own life every week in England, the situation is catastrophic and the decision to cut the service is barbaric, contemptuous, and shows what NHS England and this Tory Government truly think of NHS clinicians and staff.

Of course the decision to do so is in line with the US model of denying healthcare in order to maximise profit, and given the levels bullying by NHS England using targeting and financial cuts to ICS/ICBs not meeting the targets.

They are keenly aware that the stress and mental health damage caused to those working in the NHS; will surely increase, as will the cost of the service currently amounting to £59 per YEAR per doctor!

But with the current crisis in Mental Health Services to the general public, throwing NHS clinicians into a service which in itself is inadequate to support people with their mental health enabling them to continues working in most cases, and helping to avoid their suicides; throwing out NHS doctors and nurses into such a service is contempt for their health at best, and tantamount to adding despair to an individual close to suicide, at the worst!

The service for NHS doctors is run by NHS Practitioner Health, who issued a statement as reported by the Doctor's Association UK (DAUK):

“We have been in discussion with NHS England over arrangements for the service from 1 April 2024 and want to reassure all patients who are already registered with the service that this does not alter your situation. We will continue to support all existing patients to complete their treatment.

NHS England are undertaking a review of the staff support offer for mental health across all staff groups to consider long term sustainable options. We will contribute to the review.

On this basis we have agreed with NHS England to halt new registrations for secondary care staff from 15 April 2024 onwards. New secondary care patients will be signposted to alternative sources of support, including your GP, occupational health departments and organisational employee assistance programmes.

The arrangements for the primary care element of Practitioner Health have been extended for a further 12 months to 31 March 2025.”

NHS England made a big thing of the service it set up in 2016, which opened in 2017 saying it was part of the NHS Long-Term Plan.

They also stated:

"The service is an important part of our commitment to help retain a healthy and resilient workforce and in supporting doctors and dentists (including trainees) who wish to remain in or return to clinical practice after a period of ill health."

It can only be assumed, they now don't see the value in having a 'healthy and resilient workforce', given they have now cut their mental health support service!

Commenting on this decision, Ms Helen Fernandes, co-chair of DAUK, said:

“This service is so important and given the pressure that our secondary care doctors and healthcare professionals are under, it’s needed more than ever.

To turn off the funding just like that, with no warning and nothing in place is absolutely outrageous.

These are real people who are in trouble and distress. They will need some support somewhere, so where do they go?

The commissioners that fund the service want to do a piece of work to find out if it’s value for money, so rather than do that piece of work and keep the service running at the same time they’re going to stop it, which seems a really bizarre thing to do.”

The open letter below from NHS Staff to the Health Secretary and the CEO of NHS England, highlights the current crisis in the mental health of NHS doctors and nurses as a result of the 'business' style of management complete with unachievable targets, bullying, threats, and work pressures; which drive the levels of anxiety, depression and stress to the extent that doctors and nurses are taking their own lives!

The open letter published by Dr Rachel Clarke, Specialty doctor in Palliative Medicine (GMC 7019426), and Dr Natalie Silvey Consultant Anaesthetist (GMC 7074933); is a cry for help in the face of a callous and uncaring government and employer.

NHS patients and supporters are being asked to join in with their support for the medical staff of the NHS, by signing the open letter showing your disbelief and condemnation of those in the Dept of Health & Social Care and NHS Enlgand who are responsible for this decision.

It is a further indictment of the callous immorality and lack of compassion, and responsibility for the duty of care to their staff that pervades through the UK's Health & Care sector.

Click on the image below to go to the on-line form through which you can sign the letter and show your support for the mental health of those who are the guardians of the health of all of those in England!

Source: NHS England / NHS Doctors and Nurses / Doctors Association UK

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