Leaders from the UK's leading mental health organisations have today penned an open letter thanking frontline workers and volunteers for their service during the Covid-19 pandemic and said that supporting their mental health and wellbeing must be a "national priority".
The almost 20 signatories include the chief executives of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, Mind, Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness, Young Minds, Centre for Mental Health, and City Mental Health Alliance. The letter praised the "courage, resilience and humanity" shown by those on the frontline in sustaining the wellbeing of the nation during the pandemic, but acknowledged that mental health support must become a priority as we recover from the crisis.
The open letter also encourages that all organisations with staff working on the frontline are aware of and signpost towards Our Frontline, a free mental health support service for all health, care, emergency, education and key workers.
Simon Blake, Chief Executive, MHFA England said:
"Those on the frontline of our health, care and education systems have been our lifeline during the pandemic. The sacrifices that have been made and the unerring commitment that has been shown in unprecedented circumstances has been truly remarkable.
"I'm delighted that my colleagues across the mental health sector have joined me in solidarity and support of their efforts. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so it is our responsibility to step up and ensure that those on the frontline are in the best possible position to continue their incredible work while maintaining their own mental health."
The letter concludes by urging "government, employers and society as a whole" to make sure that frontline workers have the best possible mental health and wellbeing support.
The full open letter and list of signatories can be read below:
Right across the UK throughout the Covid-19 global pandemic, people have responded to the challenges with extraordinary determination, creativity and care.
As a group of Mental Health Leaders, we want staff working across health, care and education (both formal and informal) to know that we appreciate you and know how central your contributions are to sustaining the mental health of the nation.
We are grateful for your courage, resilience and humanity in the face of ever-changing circumstances and relentlessly difficult choices. We also acknowledge the pressures on your mental and physical wellbeing. Supporting you must be a national priority over the coming months.
We have been heartened that leaders of organisations have prioritised your wellbeing and mental health, but this has not been a universal experience. It is vital that excellent support is available in all organisations, and that all staff know about the additional mental health support that is available through Our Frontline.
Our Frontline is for all health, care, emergency, education and key workers. It offers one to one support by call or text as well as resources, tips and ideas to look after your mental health.
If you want to talk you can call 0800 069 6222 from 7am – 11pm if you are in England, or 116 123 from anywhere else in the UK. You can text FRONTLINE to 85258 twenty-four hours a day. Find out more on the SHOUT website.
The Covid-19 vaccine provides us with hope, and we will prevail. But there is still a distance to travel and there will be more difficult days ahead. This is a heartfelt message of recognition and solidarity with you and your families. It is important to take the wellbeing of keyworkers seriously, both now and for a long time to come. We will work tirelessly to ensure your mental health is at the heart of the recovery.
Finally, we urge government, employers and society as a whole to make sure that those who are looking after us have the best possible support, a vital step we cannot afford to ignore.
Julie Bentley CEO, Samaritans
Simon Blake CEO, Mental Health First Aid England
Tracey Bleakley CEO, Hospice UK
Brian Dow CEO, Mental Health UK
Sean Duggan CEO, Mental Health Network, The NHS Confederation
Paul Farmer CEO, Mind
Peter Fonagy CEO, The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
Victoria Hornby CEO, Mental Health Innovations
Sarah Hughes CEO, Centre for Mental Health
Poppy Jaman CEO, City Mental Health Alliance
Adrian James President, Royal College of Psychiatrists
Chris Martin CEO, The Mix
Paula Ojok CEO, Helplines Partnership
Catherine Roche CEO, Place2Be
Kathy Roberts CEO, Association of Mental Health Providers
Mark Rowland CEO, Mental Health Foundation
Emma Thomas CEO, Young Minds
Rosie Tressler CEO Student Minds
Mark Winstanley CEO, Rethink Mental Illness
