Charity shares concerning data on nurse suicide attempts during Covid-19

The Laura Hyde Foundation said that, according to its own investigations, at least 226 nurses across all settings had attempted suicide between 1 April 2020 to 30 April 2021.

“We are now entering a new pandemic of mental health problems for frontline workers who stepped up at a time of national emergency”

Liam Barnes

Over the same time period, 79 paramedic and ambulance staff and 17 medical students had also attempted suicide, the charity said.

The charity, set up in memory of Royal Navy nurse Laura Hyde who died by suicide in 2016, has now launched a new suicide prevention resource which aims to signpost nurses and other frontline staff to appropriate support, while providing “education and de-stigmatisation” around suicide.

The estimates on attempted suicide rates during the pandemic are based on information gathered for the charity by the partner organisations it works with for its support service hub, which provides access to free mental health treatment for emergency services workers.

As part of the investigation, the charity also carried out an online survey of 850 NHS workers between March and April 2021, which suggested staff may be missing out on support due to an ongoing perceived stigma attached to mental ill health.

Almost three-quarters (71%) of respondents said they had not been entirely truthful in the past about their reasons for being absent from work when mental health issues were present. Of those, 44% said they would rather explain their absence as musculoskeletal issues to avoid follow-ups.

Meanwhile, 53% of respondents felt uncomfortable in taking up employer-based mental health support services, and the two main reasons stated for this were that they feared letting down their colleagues or being struck off.

Chair of the Laura Hyde Foundation, and cousin of Ms Hyde, Liam Barnes, said: “Make no mistake, we are now entering a new pandemic.

“A pandemic of mental health problems for frontline workers who stepped up at a time of national emergency. We have to help them.”

The foundation's new free suicide prevention resource will be distributed to NHS staff workplaces, police stations and fire and rescue sites.

As well as listing various organisations to call for support, the resource also offers guidance on how to help colleagues with their mental health.

Mr Barnes noted that, while there had been recognition during the pandemic of the mental health needs of emergency services staff, he felt that "the topic of suicide is often too hard or too taboo to reference".

He stressed that he wanted to use “our very own Laura’s story to highlight that suicide is very real and far too frequent for it not to be discussed”.

"We all owe them a debt of gratitude for their tireless work caring for our loved ones"

Government spokesperson

“The statistics we highlight today show this and we encourage people to remove the barriers and get the help they need,” added Mr Barnes.

Commenting on the findings, a Department of Health and Social care spokesperson said: “NHS health and social care staff have played a critical role throughout this pandemic, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for their tireless work caring for our loved ones.”

They added that the government “recognise the pressures that staff have faced during this time” and is “doing everything it can to support their wellbeing”, including through funding for staff mental health hubs and dedicated helplines.

Meanwhile, an NHS spokesperson said: “It has been a year like no other for our staff - their response to caring for hundreds of thousands of patients has been truly extraordinary and so it is right that they are supported and cared for too."

They noted that the NHS had developed a range of staff support resources, such as a 24/7 text support service, self-help apps and mental health and wellbeing hubs, "so staff can access help when they need it, near where they work or live”.

In wake of the pandemic, Nursing Times launched the Covid-19: Are you OK? campaign last year to lobby for mental health support for nurses.