NHS staff across the Morecambe Bay are being offered free professional counselling during the Coronavirus outbreak.
CancerCare has launched a brand new service for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) staff who will now be able to access the charity’s team of counsellors for any support they feel they may need during the current crisis.
The charity, which provides free professional support and therapy to people affected by cancer and bereavement, put a call out to its team of therapists for help and 12 counsellors volunteered to offer their time free of charge for UHMBT staff in need.
CancerCare Chief Executive, Maria Chambers, said: “We consulted with senior figures at UHMBT and morally, and ethically, it is without question the right thing to do.
"Every day our Trust colleagues are dealing with unimaginable pressure caring for a huge number of people from our communities who are really poorly.
“It seems like the least we can do to give them access to our professionally qualified and experienced team of counsellors who will be able to use their skills to help. I was also overwhelmed by the number of our people who offered their help, free of charge, without a moment’s hesitation.”
Lancaster-based counsellor, Helen Fry, said: “There's an amazing sense of people pulling together at the moment and CancerCare is no exception. When the call came asking CancerCare therapists to volunteer to support NHS staff, the response was unequivocally ‘yes’.
“I am proud of the way the charity has responded to this crisis. We realise that frontline NHS staff are under immense pressure at the moment as both inner and outer resources are stretched to capacity. CancerCare counsellors can offer a safely held space, via telephone or online platform such as Zoom, to any staff who need time to offload and process their experiences of the past few weeks.”
Lead Cancer Nurse for UHMBT, Alison Scott, said: "We are delighted as a Trust to accept this very kind and generous offer of support for our colleagues who have been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).
“A number of our colleagues have been working with people who have tested positive for coronavirus or have been personally affected so this offer from CancerCare is simply amazing.
“We are grateful that CancerCare’s professionally trained and highly experienced therapists will be able to offer counselling, bereavement support and other services to our colleagues.
“We are offering support to our staff through our Occupational Health Team so the support from CancerCare’s therapists will complement this.
“For nurses and other colleagues in the NHS, giving someone a hug is an automatic response. Not being able to do something as natural as giving a hug can be very upsetting. We have to keep our distance and are not able to comfort people as we would wish. This is just one example of how this virus is adversely affecting our staff and patients.
“CancerCare’s counsellors will offer a professional and non-judgemental listening ear to our colleagues. Just having someone to talk to who is not associated with your work or family situation is hugely important. This sort of support will be invaluable in the weeks to come.
“We want to say a massive thank you to CancerCare for this incredibly caring support.”
NHS staff wishing to speak to a counsellor can book a session through the charity’s dedicated helpline which is open from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Counselling sessions can then be arranged at a convenient time to suit shift patterns. The number is 03330 150 628 (charged at local rate) and people can also email: CancerCareCan@cancercare.org.uk or text: 07860 018 278
ENDS
Photo caption: CancerCare’s Slynedales Centre in Lancaster and counsellor, Helen Fry
Note to editors: Images are attached to this email. For further information contact Marketing and Communications Officer Paul Duncan on 07989 127731 or email paul.duncan@cancercare.org.uk