‘Listening ear’ service helps A&E staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Fears over the impact on hospital workers’ mental health of trauma faced at work led staff to set up their own listening service to make sure colleagues have the help they need.

They teamed up with the psychology team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to set up Listening Ears, a 24-7 helpline which has been praised as “outstanding” by Government inspectors.

Dr Jonathan Thornley, consultant in emergency medicine, explained why the service was launched.

He said: “Every year, over 220,000 people attend our emergency departments at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

“For many, our teams will fix them up and send them home. For some, this will be the toughest day of their lives.

“For our 450 members of staff working in the ED, there is no telling just what will come through those doors each day.

“Not only do they work under the most intense pressures, they care for families just as their lives change forever.”

The Listening Ears service includes an anonymous helpline, a dedicated e-mail address and volunteers wearing ear-shaped pin badges so colleagues know where to get immediate support at work.

The project was nominated for a Nursing Times award and was listed among areas of “outstanding practice” after the trust’s latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Listening Ears also won a Leeds Teaching Hospitals staff award.

Dr Thornley, said: “I am so very proud of my A&E family - we always pull together when times are toughest.

“The A&E Listening Ears brings a light at the end of the tunnel to some, a shoulder to others, but an understanding voice to all, whoever, whenever, whatever. This is something very special.”

Listening Ears was set up before a review of staff wellbeing in the NHS led to new measures to boost mental health being announced.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said NHS staff will be offered 24-hour mental health support if they suffer a stressful incident at work.

He also announced fast-tracked mental health referrals from either a GP or an occupational health clinician for NHS employees and improved rest spaces for staff to use during and after their shifts.

He made the recommendations after a commission was set up to look into mental health among NHS staff and students.

Mr Hancock said: “we don’t do enough to care for our carers”.