SOUTH Western Ambulance Charity has secured a £200,000 grant to expand wellbeing support for ambulance staff.

The funding is part of a nationwide £11 million programme, supporting 29 ambitious projects aimed at protecting NHS staff during one of the busiest periods in recent history.

The grant will allow South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT)’s Staying Well Hub to deliver a range of innovative, evidence-based initiatives designed to address the growing pressures on ambulance staff.

Research shows almost half of NHS employees say their work negatively affects their mental health, while 41% report an impact on their physical wellbeing.

Head of wellbeing and occupational health at SWASFT Lauren Dunn said: “To receive this grant and be supported to deliver such a genuinely transformative programme of work is an immense privilege.

“It allows us, as the first ambulance service to pilot and evaluate these innovative approaches in such depth, to shape not only the future of wellbeing within our organisation, but to contribute to sector-wide change.”

Projects funded through the grant include a psycho-social education programme using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help staff build coping strategies and wellbeing skills.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) will also be expanded, with trauma therapist Paul Edwards creating an in-house cohort of trained EFT practitioners.

Enhanced trauma support will be delivered through the Trauma Response and Support (T-RAS) programme, with input from external specialists to ensure a robust, evidence-based approach.

Lauren added: “This programme has been built directly from the voices of our colleagues. Through extensive engagement and honest feedback, we heard clearly where support could be strengthened and where new approaches were needed.

“This funding enables us to respond with meaningful, evidence-based initiatives, supported by expert insight, to ensure no gap in wellbeing is left unaddressed.”

CEO of NHS Charities Together Ellie Orton said: “Many NHS staff feel that theirs is the best job in the world, but these roles come with a tremendous responsibility for the lives they care for, and at a time of incredible pressure on health services, this takes a toll on their mental and physical wellbeing.”

The funding will support SWASFT in delivering these initiatives over the next 18 months, helping to make a lasting impact on the wellbeing of ambulance staff across the south west.