Here at RLH we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive department and have benefitted from the work of Dr. Allnatt who is nationally recognised for his work on wellbeing.
If you are unwell or unable to come to work;
- Inform the 1220 bleep holder and the consultant you would have been working with (either on a list or as a mentor) - consultant numbers are on the CLWrota entry.
- Inform the anaesthetic administrators, Nasima Begum and Janet Woolward, and the college tutors.
Dr Tony Allnat leads our wellbeing service, which has consistently received fantastic feedback from theatre staff, trainees and consultants alike.
There are a number of wellbeing sessions run as part of our theatres multi-track meetings (see the multitrack timetable).
There is also an informal "coffee club" for trainees on alternate Fridays at 07:45, and an informal morbidity and mortality debriefing held at the same time on the alternate Fridays.
Below you will find advice from our Theatres Wellbeing Project - specifically where to get support during times of increased stress.
Colleagues and other trusted people are usually good places to begin; having open conversations, being honest about feelings with ourselves and others helps us to recognise we are not alone, that we are not strange or weak for being affected and can help the beginning of acceptance.
CiC is the Trust sanctioned counselling portal - see the intranet or call 0800 085 1376 or 0207 937 6224 - it offers access to a wide range of services. Their helpline is open 24/7 should the need arise. They are separate to the Trust, they are confidential, and do not send reports or any information to your workplace.
Think about self-care, looking after your physical and emotional health; eat well, sleep well, do some exercise, or maybe try something new - meditation, mindfulness, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response - very fashionable at the moment!), minute breathing, tantric chanting - the options are extensive, and some experimentation may be required to find something that works for you.
DocHealth 02073836533. This is a specialist psychotherapeutic service for doctors supported by the British Medical Association and the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund. The psychiatrists running this service have been caring for doctors with mental health problems for decades. The service is run on a not-for-profit basis with fees varying depending on the grade and circumstances of the doctor. All doctors in the UK are able to self-refer to this service.
NHS Practitioner Health Programme 0203 049 4505. This is the largest service currently specialising in treating doctors with mental or physical health problems including addiction, particularly if these affect their work. Any doctor in England can now request a referral to PHP via their GP (since March 2018).
Alcoholics Anonymous 0800 917 7650
Narcotics Anonymous 0300 999 1212
The British Doctors and Dentist Group 07904 570792, is a mutual support society for doctors and dentists who are recovering, or wish to recover, from addiction/dependency on alcohol or other drugs.
Rape Crisis 0808 802 9999 provide specialist support and services to women who have experienced sexual violence.
Safeline 0808 800 5005 for survivors of male rape.
The Samaritans 116123 Immediate, anonymous help for times of desperate crisis.
Your GP can also refer you to multiple services - although there may be waiting lists.
This list is not by any means exhaustive; rather it is a summary of services which we know have been accessed by colleagues currently working in our department, and that they have found useful.
More information can be found here.
If you do not know who to contact, please approach either your Educational Supervisor or College Tutor in the first instance and if they cannot help, they will find someone who can. Remember - please do look after and be kind to yourselves, and to those around you.