Jack Ansell, paramedic and operations manager for volunteer community first responders at South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is taking part in the NHS Charities Together ‘With All Our Hearts’ campaign that raises awareness of the importance of health and wellbeing support for NHS staff.
This is the second year that the campaign has run and with 1.5 million NHS staff and the ever-increasing pressures of the service, it is more important than ever to ensure the health and wellbeing of all NHS staff is fully supported.
Jack, who has worked for SCAS for over 20 years, said: “Being a paramedic is harder than it has ever been before.
“I have seen first-hand how the wellbeing initiatives make a huge difference to my colleagues and I. We see some really awful situations as paramedics, so it is incredibly important to manage your mental health. Access to support such as wellbeing zones, gardens, physiotherapy and having trained colleagues to talk to after traumatic incidents, really help support or physical and mental health. Having access to these types of support and more besides at all our ambulance stations, is really invaluable.”
SCAS has worked with the South Central Ambulance Charity, which works closely with NHS Charities Together, to implement initiatives that support the health and wellbeing of the Trust’s staff and volunteers, including a refreshment service known as ‘teapot’ which sees volunteers provide drinks and snacks to crews at various locations.
This complements the Trust’s range of other health and wellbeing programmes including access to mental health services, a 24-hour employee assistance programme which is available to staff, volunteers and their family members, a comprehensive occupational health service and various other welfare schemes.
You can read Jack’s full story and find out more about NHS Charities Together’s ‘With All Our Hearts’ campaign here: https://nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/withallourhearts/jacks-story/