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Ambulance service showcases support for staff ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day

Date: 10 September 2024

The East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) is reminding all colleagues of support available ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

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EEAST, which is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance, has a wide range of measures in place to identify and support employees who may be suicidal.

There were 5,579 deaths recorded as suicide in England in 2023 alone.

As an employer of over 5,000 people across six counties – many in extremely demanding roles - EEAST takes its responsibility to identify and support staff extremely seriously.

Whether serving on the front line as a clinician, working in our control centres, or in our support services, or in patient transport service, working in the ambulance service can be very rewarding – but can also be challenging.

EEAST has prioritised the development of a number of compassionate processes to support our people, with programmes in place to help staff through problems and mental health issues.

Resources and services include:

  • A suicide prevention process which supports leaders, the individual and colleagues if an employee has suicidal ideation or has attempted suicide.
  • Developing a suicide prevention toolkit for all staff and a suicide prevention guide for managers.
  • A health and wellbeing app – called ‘Time for Me’ - which has been co-designed by EEAST is available on all computers and includes information on ways to confidentially ask for help and access crisis support information, wellbeing plans, and learning.
  • Six Welfare Wagons based across our region to support our people at hospitals where crews often wait to hand over patients, and at the scene of long or challenging incidents. Support provided includes refreshments and mental health first aid.

Not all staff problems are related to work, and our health and wellbeing team offer holistic support and consider financial wellbeing as well as factors outside of work, such as relationship breakdown that can lead to thoughts of suicide.

EEAST also provides access to free pension and money advice through MoneyHelper, a collaboration with HSBC, and via The Ambulance Service Charity (TASC).

One staff member helped by EEAST said:

“Due to a personal event, I had faced multiple suicidal thoughts, been left with no self-esteem, was very low and felt worthless.

“Through the support and kind words [my wellbeing support] showed, she guided me back to being able to feel good about myself. She made no judgement in my situation but empathised with how and why I was feeling how I was.

“During our conversations, I gained the strength to restart, rethink and begin a new stage in my life. Without that support ... my recovery may not have been as good as it has been.”

Marika Stephenson, Director of People Services for EEAST said:

“At EEAST we have recognised the importance of a holistic support system focused on suicide prevention and identifying and offering help before a crisis occurs where possible.

“We are introducing a wellbeing passport for everyone, promoting working on our mental health as regularly as we do our physical health, and ensuring that help is literally at people’s fingertips on every computer screen.”

EEAST will be showcasing some of its programmes to other NHS colleagues at the Emergency Services Show in Birmingham later in September, and has also been asked to present on this topic by Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Council and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care).

The service also gave a presentation on our new process regarding suicide prevention at a forum held by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE).

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