Psychological Support and Wellbeing Service for Doctors and Dentists in Training on behalf of Health Education England working across Yorkshire and the Humber

Descriptions

This service will provide psychology. Psychiatry and counselling services for doctors and dentists in Postgraduate Training within Health Education England working across Yorkshire and the Humber (HEEYH).Within Yorkshire and the Humber in financial year 2019/20 270 doctors and dentists in training required additional support from existing services. There has been a four-fold increase in the need for support in the past 10 years and it is anticipated that this will increase further. Historically, access to services has been through anonymous self-referral, though often faculty and supervisors involved in supporting and assessing trainees, as well as their employers, may recommend that self-referral.The postgraduate dean is responsible for a team, including heads of school, associate deans, training programme directors, and programme support staff, who alongside employers are responsible for supporting postgraduate trainees experiencing difficulties. This includes their access to services to support their psychological wellbeing. The aim of the psychological support and wellbeing service is to provide face to face access to psychological and psychiatric assessment and a full suite of therapies for all grades of doctors and dentists in training within HEEYH.This service will cover approximately 5820 doctors and dentists in training, per year and the care pathway recommended for each referral will need to consider the reason, context and complexity of the case whilst being mindful of relevant national guidelines and a stepped care approach. It is anticipated that the majority of referrals will be categorised as ‘mild presentations’ requiring a maximum of 6 sessions of treatment with the remaining referrals falling within the ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’ category of presentations where the expectation is that a maximum of 12 or 18 sessions respectively may be required. The majority of agreed treatments therapies are likely to be delivered by psychotherapists.