Mental health support lines available for dentists and doctors

NHS England has unveiled dedicated mental health support lines (tel. 0300 0303 300 or email prac.health@nhs.net) and a 24/7 crisis text service (text NHSPH to 85258) to support doctors and dentists. A pilot scheme reported 88% saying the service had a positive impact on their wellbeing and 85% saying it had a positive impact on their ability to work or train.
Research from the British Dental Association has identified that nearly 50% of surveyed dentists consider the stress they are under to be too much to deal with, and 17.6% of them confessed to having seriously considered suicide. Chair of the BDA, Mick Armstrong, said: “The BDA’s research has consistently shown that many dentists experience unacceptably high levels of stress, with little or no formal help from government until now. Our researchers collected hard data on the worrying extent of stress and burnout in the profession. Practitioners in desperate need of support either expected to suffer in silence, or struggle to access basic services. This resulted in too many dentists exiting the profession early or worse. We’re very pleased that the highly regarded, confidential NHS Practitioner Health Programme has now been extended to all NHS dentists across England.”
Medical director of NHS Practitioner Health, Dr. Clare Gerada, said: “I am immensely pleased and proud that the work we have done over the last decade has demonstrated the value of a service like NHS Practitioner Health. This means that any doctor or dentist in England can access free, confidential NHS mental health support. No doctor or dentist need shy away from seeking help. They’ll receive the same levels of confidentiality we would afford members of the public who access care, and we’re removing the stigma and barriers to seeking help through mainstream NHS services.”