The Covid pandemic magnified a number of problems that already existed in our health service including workforce shortages, high levels of stress and burnout, and poor staff wellbeing. The workforce is extremely fatigued. Many are suffering from psychological distress and mental health disorders. We need time to heal.
We have called for actions which we believe are most urgent in supporting the workforce to recover from the mental and physical demands of working during the Covid crisis, and to help ensure that we have a workforce which is fit and prepared to remobilise the health service, to innovate and transform for the future, to be able to handle the usual winter pressures, and to be ready for any future Covid waves.
We call on governments to ensure all healthcare workers have access to:
- 1 Peer support, psychological support and specialist mental health services.
- 2 Basic facilities including hot food and somewhere to rest and have a break.
- 3 Realistic workloads.
