Advice for healthcare professionals

As a healthcare professional, you have the knowledge and skills to limit the spread of infection but you might still worry about getting ill if you come into contact with patients with coronavirus.

You might find the following information about infection prevention, PPE and testing useful:

• NHS England guidance for clinicians and NHS managers
• UK Government guidance about coronavirus for health professionals
• Public Health England guidance on infection prevention and control for COVID-19
• UK Government guidance on how to get a coronavirus test if you're an essential worker

To help manage your anxiety:

• Take the Good Thinking anxiety quiz so we can recommend useful apps and resources
• Use the Good Thinking self-assessment tool to understand your anxiety better
• Download the Headspace app – this is currently free for NHS staff with an NHS email address
• Watch the COVID-19 Supporting Doctors stress and anxiety video
• Read the NHS guidance on health anxiety
• Visit the Anxiety UK website
• Contact the NHS staff support line
• NHS information about the COVID-19 vaccine and NHS press release about vaccinating staff

As you come under sustained pressure dealing with coronavirus, it’s important that you find ways to manage your stress levels and help your colleagues to do the same. Try to provide a listening ear and remind each other that you’ll get through this together.

• Get advice from Good Thinking about dealing with stress
• Listen to Good Thinking's podcast with Professor Neil Greenberg
• Take the Good Thinking stress quiz to get access to useful apps and resources, including My Possible Self and Be Mindful
• Use the Good Thinking self-assessment tool to understand your stress better
• Get psychological first aid (PFA) training from FutureLearn
• Download the Headspace app (this is currently free for NHS staff with an NHS email address) and check out the free online yoga classes for NHS staff
• Watch the COVID-19 Supporting Doctors stress and anxiety video
• Read this BMJ article about self-care
• Read the NHS guidance on coping with stress
• Contact the NHS staff support line

After a busy shift, you might find it difficult to switch off and unwind but it’s vital that you get enough sleep.

• Get sleep advice from Good Thinking
• Take the Good Thinking sleep quiz to get access to apps and other tools that will help you to sleep better, such as Calm and Be Mindful
• Use the Good Thinking self-assessment tool to understand your sleep better
• Watch the The Joyful Doctor’s video about COVID-19 and sleep disturbances among doctors
• Read this BMJ article about self-care
• Read this article about sleep by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• Read the NHS guidance on how to get to sleep
• Contact the NHS staff support line

Whether you have 40 years of experience or you’re new to the profession, looking after a patient who is seriously ill or dying is very difficult. Take a moment to acknowledge how you feel and remember, there is no right or wrong way to feel. You might find that you experience a range of emotions, including sadness, shock, anger, numbness and even guilt, and move between these feelings at different times.

• Read the BMA guidance on ethical issues related to COVID-19 and coping with the death of a patient
• Get advice from the Royal College of Nursing
• Visit the Royal College of General Practitioners guidance on end of life care
• Read the bereavement guidance for NHS Trusts
• Visit the Cruse bereavement care website
• Contact the NHS staff support line or the NHS bereavement support line

It’s vital that anyone with symptoms of coronavirus, including healthcare professionals, self-isolates in accordance with the official advice. Being at home might be challenging but there are some things you can do to help protect your mental wellbeing.

• Read the Good Thinking article about how to look after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak
• Take a look at the Good Thinking Q&A about staying mentally well during self-isolation
• Read the Government advice on self-isolation
• Visit the BMA website for advice about self-isolation
• Contact the NHS staff support line

You might be worried about your family’s health, your children’s education and your household finances at this time. If you’re living apart from your family, you might also be concerned about the effect this separation is having on them.

• Read Good Thinking’s advice for parents and carers
• Follow the five ways to good mental wellbeing as a family
• Read the Good Thinking article about dealing with job and financial uncertainty
• Share Good Thinking's advice for children and young people whose parents are essential workers with your family
• Listen to Good Thinking's podcast about supporting the whole family
• Read Our NHS People's guide for key worker parents and carers
• Read the Royal College of Nursing’s employment guidance
• Get Family Lives’ tips about how to support your family during the coronavirus outbreak
• Contact the NHS staff support line

Unfortunately, some of you might experience a negative reaction by members of your community due to stigma or fear. The NHS has a zero tolerance policy towards abusive behaviour.

• See the Chief Nursing Officer for England’s response to incidents of abuse
• Access the Health and Safety Executive’s advice about violence in health and social care
• Read this BMJ article about social stigma
• Get advice from UNICEF and WHO
• Contact the NHS staff support line

Try to get your information from your employer and the NHS and Government websites only and limit how many times a day you check the news and social media.

• Read the Good Thinking article about how to avoid fake news
• Visit the coronavirus, Test and Trace and COVID-19 vaccine pages on the NHS website
• See the Government’s advice about coronavirus