Donation helps NHS support Rotherham hospital staff facing Covid trauma

NHS staff in Rotherham have risen to the challenge of Covid-19, with many working in different roles, caring for seriously-ill patients on the front line or going the extra mile to keep the NHS going.

Many will have done so while taking on extra caring responsibilities, home schooling their children and dealing with the challenges of lockdown.

Staff who need someone to talk to about their experiences can now access colleagues who have undergone the Trauma Resilience Management Programme (TRiM) training.

The NHS Trust had launched a successful TRiM pilot on its Critical Care Unit prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thanks to £27,900 additional funding provided to the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity by NHS Charities Together, the Trust can now significantly increase the number of trained TRiM practitioners and the amount of support.

Sue Rodgers is a trained TRiM practitioner alongside her role as a medical appraisal and revalidation support manager.

She said: “One colleague in particular was incredibly upset about the combination of a work issue and something very similar at home and therefore needed extra support. They had been working in a clinical setting but not in their usual role.

“What they had experienced was traumatic for them but they wanted to protect their family from knowing what they had been through.

“Just being there for someone is incredibly important and simply listening without judgement is really powerful.”

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Zoe Noon is a TRiM practitioner alongside her role as foundation programme administrator for post-graduate medical education at the Trust. She is the first point of call for newly-qualified doctors.

She said: “We were very conscious that our newly-qualified doctors have been working in stressful circumstances due to Covid-19.

"They are new to medicine and have been in the thick of it just eight months into their career. I’m used to speaking to people in times of need but the training has made sure I’m in the best position to help.

“One colleague’s experience particularly resonated with me as they wanted to talk about a personal issue which was also affecting their mental health and ability to cope at work.

"Although this colleague worried that it was trivial at a time when so many people were poorly with coronavirus, it was incredibly upsetting for them. They were mourning the loss of an important life event.

“I helped this colleague talk it through and they felt more positive, less like a coiled spring, and more able to get back to work.

"I was an independent, confidential listening ear and someone who could help them feel able to cope. It shows that TRiM works for staff who have experienced something traumatic in their personal lives, as well as those with work issues.”

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