£363,000 to fund psychological support for NUH staff who worked through the pandemic

Staff wellbeing with Team NUH has received a boost from Nottingham Hospitals Charity, thanks to a £363,000 project to introduce new psychological support for staff, following a successful funding application to NHS Charities Together.

Nottingham Hospitals Charity has funded four brand new positions to help support all staff within Team NUH after the psychological trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This two-year project has cost £363,000, with new positions including two clinical psychologists and a mental health trainer. The roles have been designed to develop post-trauma initiatives for all staff, particularly in areas such as ED, critical care and neonatal where traumatic incidents are high. The project has also helped enhance the open culture within NUH, whereby staff are encouraged to talk openly about how they are doing and what support they need from their managers and peers.

The project, which commenced in September 2021 when the new recruits joined Team NUH, is part of a pilot scheme to increase psychological wellbeing support for staff and build on the existing work of our well established staff wellbeing programme.

Steph Knowles, Head of Staff Wellbeing at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, acknowledges how the Covid-19 pandemic shone a light on what was needed in terms of staff support. She said:

“Funding these new positions really shows the Trust’s commitment to looking after our staff within NUH. Working in a healthcare setting can be difficult and emotionally challenging and this was magnified over the last year as a result of the pandemic.

“Our staff have had so much to deal with – from day to day patient care, all the work that goes on behind the scenes to support that work but also the impact of Covid-19 on their own lives and families. Worrying about loved ones, home schooling and dealing with everything else that a pandemic and numerous lockdowns have led to, it’s no surprise our teams are tired and need support.”

Barbara Cathcart, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, was behind the plan to enhance emotional support for hospital staff from the very beginning. She said:

“We are so pleased to be able to support Team NUH with the funding of these new psychological wellbeing roles. We owe so much to the tireless dedication and care shown by our hospital staff, it goes without saying they have worked relentlessly to look after us throughout this pandemic.

“Applying for funding from NHS Charities Together was a complex and lengthy process, where we had to evidence the positive impact that this funding will have on the wellbeing of our hospital staff. I’m very pleased that NHS Charities Together agrees with how we aim to support our devoted staff, and we look forward to meeting the new clinical team to learn more about their plans to help colleagues.”

Positions are currently being recruited, with a view to successful applicants joining later in the summer.

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