Mental Health Support Focus Groups for NHS staff

NHS Workforce – COVID-19 Mental Health Support Focus Groups

The Covid-19 pandemic has put health care professionals in an unprecedented situation. We know that NHS staff have been working under extreme pressure, working long hours and having to make impossible decisions that may include how to allocate resources to equally needy patients, and how to provide care for all severely unwell patients with constrained resources. The impact of Covid-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce cannot be underestimated.

We also know that the hero narrative promoted by the media, which is intended to communicate the value with which we hold health care professionals, may unintentionally add to the pressure individuals are feeling to rise to the present challenge, continually going above and beyond their duty of care, putting their mental health at risk and not feeling able to reach our for support.

At Mind, the UK’s largest mental health charity, we are committed to understanding more about the impact of Covid-19 on the mental health of the NHS workforce so that we can provide the right support at the right time.

With funding from the British Medical Association, we will develop information, resources and tools to support the mental health and wellbeing of all NHS staff in response to Covid-19 but before we do that, we need your help. We are going to be running a series of focus group to better understand the impact of COVID19 and what support the NHE workforce needs:

Who

We’re looking for up to 40 NHS staff to take part in an online focus group. We’re seeking representation from a range of roles, from across the UK and differences in length of service. We hope to engage as diverse a range of staff as possible and particularly welcome staff from LGBTQIA+ and BAME communities and those who identify with having a disability to tell their story.

Why

To help shape information, resources and tools that Mind will develop to support the mental health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce.

What will happen?

• We’ll ask participants about their experience of working in the NHS during Covid-19 and the impact this has had on their mental health and wellbeing.
• We’ll test some assumptions with you, based on a literature review we’ve carried that looks at the impact of Covid-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of NHS staff. We’ll ask for your feedback on our assumptions.
• We’ll ask participants to feedback on what you like, dislike and ask for ideas on improvements on existing support and content
• We’ll explain the types of information, resources and tools we plan to develop and get participant views on what you would like to see included in these.

The practicalities

When:

We’ll be running two virtual focus groups, with up to 20 participants on each:

• Thursday 17th Sep: 6.30pm-8pm
• Tuesday 22nd Sep: 7.30pm-9pm

How long for: 

1.5hrs

Deadline to sign up: 

15^th September  

How to sign up:

• • Follow this link to sign up to the focus group on the 17^th Sep: here
  • Follow this link to sign up to the focus group on the 22^nd Sep: here

• What happens when you sign up: You’ll be contacted to confirm if you have secured a place on the focus group. Once this has been confirmed, you will be sent the Zoom invite and link with further instructions.

Essential criteria:

1.      Over 18 and are currently working within the NHS.

2.      Access to Zoom to take part in the focus group session.