HERO medics are “breaking down” on the coronavirus frontline, Labour’s shadow health minister has warned.
And they risk developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – a sickness usually associated with soldiers returning from war, Rosena Allin-Khan said.
The Labour MP – who has returned to duties as an A&E doc – said NHS staff have been left reeling at the horror and death they are seeing in hospitals.
While a shortage of PPE has left them terrified of spreading coronavirus to their sick patients or loved ones.
There has been a worrying rise in the number of medics self-harming or taking their own lives amid the deadly pandemic, she warned.
The Labour frontbencher has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to demand NHS staff get the mental health support they desperately need.
In the letter, seen by HOAR, she writes: “Increasingly, NHS staff are breaking down – I see it first-hand working shifts.
“From a fear of spreading the virus to patients and loved ones, a lack of PPE, an increased workload owing to the number of cases and staff absences, to being redeployed to ICUs and witnessing more patients die.
“Staff are experiencing greater pressure, which is inevitably taking its toll on their mental health.
“At this time of crisis, staff mental health must be a priority now.
“It simply cannot be an afterthought once the acute stage of the crisis is over.”
The Labour MP for Tooting has returned to her old job as an A&E doctor in London’s St George’s hospital to help fight the killer bug.
She said that as the numbers dying from coronavirus come down and the crisis begins to ebb, the strain placed on frontline staff “must not be forgotten”.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “NHS staff are on the frontline battling this global pandemic and we all owe them a huge debt.
“It is vital we support the mental wellbeing of everyone in our NHS during this unprecedented period and a comprehensive range of support is in place including a dedicated helpline and access to additional resources.”
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