LONDON — Prince Harry visited London Ambulance Service personnel this week and encouraged them to talk about mental health issues.
“The first time I needed real support from my colleagues was after a patient chased me down the street threatening to kill me. As a paramedic working in a car on my own, I had been first on scene and I still remember the fear I felt,” paramedic Susanna Trow said.
As part of his visit, Prince Harry joined London Ambulance Service staff at a “Time to Talk Day” well-being event. He learned about the service’s voluntary LINC network, which is a peer support system set up to encourage staff to talk to each other about the issues they are facing.
“We take the mental well-being of our workforce very seriously. Our staff deal with trauma every day and can work in often difficult circumstances. That’s why we’re here today, to show them the support that we can offer. Alongside this, we’ll have our LINC network of trained staff who volunteer their time to offer peer support to their colleagues,” Jules Lockett, NHS practice learning manager, said.
Prince Harry also meet with control room staff.
https://twitter.com/Ldn_Ambulance/status/827166692501553152
“Back in October, I was working a night shift in the control room and took a really difficult call. After the call was over, I walked away not knowing if I’d done the right thing and it really affected me. I couldn’t sleep, I kept bursting into tears and my confidence was knocked,” dispatcher Alex Turp said.
The visit comes as part of Heads Together’s campaign to change the conversation on mental health, spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, in partnership with eight leading mental health charities and three founding partners.
https://twitter.com/Ldn_Ambulance/status/827191121042407425