Why we gave NHS workers access to Unmind amid COVID-19

As unprecedented pressure is exerted on our health service, we’ve opened up the Unmind platform to anyone with access to an NHS email address. Staff can sign up for free at nhs.unmind.com/signup.

This week the government stepped up its measures to tackle the coronavirus. The epidemic is causing unfamiliar challenges and greater levels of stress and anxiety for many people, but nowhere is the pressure felt more acutely than on the front line of our National Health Service.

Protecting vulnerable people from the pathogen is the country’s single highest priority. The scale of preparation undertaken by the NHS in response is significant and heroic. Healthcare professionals are working around the clock to slow the spread of the virus. This means making untold sacrifices to their home lives, and in many cases putting their own wellbeing at risk.

The pressure isn’t just faced by the doctors, nurses, and wider support staff handling the huge influx of patients head-on, it’s everyone from the receptionist to call-handlers contending with never-before-seen volumes of queries.

As the virus continues to circulate, the wellbeing of our healthcare workers is in the interest of us all. And the knock-on effect extra exertion may have on their mental health must be considered. Now more than ever, this key workforce needs to proactively manage their mental wellbeing. 

As a digital solution, the Unmind platform and mobile app will give 1.5 million members of NHS staff free access to clinically backed tools and support for proactively managing their own mental health. Available anytime, anywhere and on any device, we aim to support as many professionals as possible - be it to help with stress, sleep, coping, or nutrition.

This isn’t an epidemic that’s going to last a few weeks – the impact is going to be experienced for months. As our NHS is pushed to the limits, the Unmind platform can help to reduce the negative impact on the mental health of its staff, and hopefully, empower them to further support those they are working with and caring for. 

If you work for the NHS or know someone who does, please follow these instructions:

• Go to nhs.unmind.com/signup
• Please use your NHS email address to signup
• You can also download Unmind in your app store (AppStore and Google Play) for quick and easy access on-the-go. The Unmind URL is: nhs

Stay safe and look out for one another.

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For further support...

To find out more about managing workplace mental health with Unmind, get in touch following this link. 

For further advice on managing individual wellbeing amid the coronavirus, read Mind’s latest guidance.