Health Secretary urged to ‘look after mental health of NHS and care staff’

NHS and social care staff face “patchy” mental health support across England, leading health organisations have said as many specialist support hubs have shut their doors due to a lack of funding.

Royal colleges, unions, think tanks and other staff groups have come together to demand that the Government takes “urgent steps” to protect the mental health and wellbeing of health and care staff as specialist hubs “continue to close”.

Ring-fenced funding for NHS Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs was cut a year ago, the organisations said, and as a result, staff in need of support are facing a “postcode lottery” of care.

Of the original 40 hubs, 18 have closed since March 2023, they said.

Three hubs are set to close at the end of March, and a further nine are yet to receive confirmation of funding and are under “threat of closure”.

Just 10 hubs have confirmed funding for part or all of 2024/25.

The organisations have written a letter to Health Secretary Victoria Atkins calling for more to be done to support a “struggling workforce”.

They highlight how the hubs aim to “end a cycle of staff waiting until reaching breaking point to seek support” and how investing in mental health support could help the service save money in the long run.

“Funding for many services is hanging in the balance, leaving NHS staff, and in particular social care staff, without the appropriate level of help they need to maintain their mental health, and stay in their jobs,” the organisations wrote in the joint letter.

“We urge the government to restore long-term, ringfenced funding to provide equity of access to mental health support for all NHS and social care staff and to help safeguard the mental health of this vital workforce both now, and in the future.”

Dr Roman Raczka, president-elect of the British Psychological Society, said: “Staff are the lifeblood of our NHS and social care services, and ambitions to achieve improved productivity simply cannot be achieved without investment in a healthy, supported workforce.

“The recent NHS Staff Survey results and evidence from Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs highlights why continued investment in mental health support remains a vital part of the solution to addressing workforce challenges, and research shows it makes good business sense.

“We know senior NHS and social care leaders want to provide their workforces with the best possible support, they recognise how dedicated mental health support can help staff remain in their jobs, return from long-term sickness and, crucially, prevent future ill health.

“However, most integrated care systems are struggling to balance the books, and the funding simply isn’t there to provide these, sometimes lifesaving, services. That’s why together we’re calling on the Government to act and help safeguard the mental health of this vital workforce, both now and in the future.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The health and wellbeing of NHS staff is vitally important, and there is a wide-ranging package of support in place.

“We worked with NHS England to make support available to NHS staff through mental health hubs within each region during 2023/24 and NHS England continues to work with systems to develop tailored health and wellbeing offers that meet the needs of their local workforce.

“This will ensure staff continue to have access to mental health support.”

– The letter was signed by the British Psychological Society, The King’s Fund, Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Medical Association, NHS Providers, Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Radiologists, Centre for Mental Health, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, British Association of Social Workers England, Association of Clinical Psychologists UK, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Medical Protection Society, the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine and the HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union.