PTSD and wellbeing in the COVID era

In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, Dr Sue Walwyn interviews Professor Dame Clare Gerada and Professor Sir Simon Wessely about wellbeing and how we can support anaesthetists with wellbeing at work, particularly in light of the pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Links and resources are listed below. 

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(Recorded 4th June 2021) 

Dr Sue Walwyn

President ,SEAUK and Training Programme Director (TPD) for West Yorkshire 

Joint Clinical Lead for AaE: Advanced Educational Supervision 

Sue is a consultant anaesthetist based in a large DGH with an interest in education. 

Professor Sir Simon Wessely

Simon Wessely is  a psychiatrist and epidemiologist 

He started his psychiatry training at the Maudsley in 1984, and joined King’s College School of Medicine, as it was then called in 1991. He has been at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King’s College London, ever since.

He is a Past President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal Society of Medicine. Between 2017 -19 he led the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, which paved the way for new legislation in 2022.

Professor Dame Clare Gerada

Professor Clare Gerada had just passed her 27th year mile stone working in the same GP practice in South London. She began working there having first trained in psychiatry and the Maudsley Hospital. Clare has worked at the interface between mental health and primary care ever since with a special interest in the care of substance misusers, the homeless and currently mentally ill doctors.

For the last decade she has led the largest physician health service in Europe and to date the service has had over 5000 doctors and dentists with mental illness present to it.

Clare led the Royal College of General Practitioners between 2010-2013, only the second women in its history to at its head. Clare trained in group analysis, obtaining the diploma of Group Analysis in 2014. She uses her experience from this field to help understand why doctors are so unhappy.  Clare is proud that other than when on annual leave she is still a front line GP and even does her fair share of out of hours work. In 2019 Clare was elected the Co-Chair of the NHS Assembly.

Clare was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 Birthday Honours for service to medicine and to drug misusers and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to general practice.

Supporting resources 

Where to find help

AAGBI

Website: http://www.aagbi.org/professionals/welfare

Sick Doctors Trust

Independent charity helping doctors and medical students with dependency problems

0370 444 5163)

http://www.sick-doctors-trust.co.uk/

 

BMA Doctors Wellbeing

Tel 08459 200169 or 01455 254189

http://bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/doctors-well-being

 

BMA doctors for Doctors

http://bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/doctors-well-being/about-doctors-for-doctors

 

British Doctors and Dentists Support Group

For those with a dependency problem

http://www.bddg.org

Tel 0779 2819 966

 

NHS practitioner health programme

For London and surrounding area

tel 0203 049 4505

http://php.nhs.uk/

 

Royal Medical Benevolent Fund

www.rmbf.org

 

Alcoholics Anonymous:

tel 0845 769 7555

www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

 

Narcotics Anonymous:

 tel 020 7730 0009

www.ukna.org

 

Doctors in distress:

tel 01923 608183

https://doctors-in-distress.org.uk

 

Free resilience resources for healthcare workers:
https://resilienceresources.wixsite.com/bakersdozen

Mental Health consequences of Covid-19 | NCMH on PTSD:
https://www.ncmh.info/resources/consequences-covid-19/