Faculty response to 2024 riots

NHS England has just released a letter and associated resource toolkit in response to the riots. We wholly support both the contents of the letter and their suggested actions.

The past few weeks of riots and civil unrest have been deeply unsettling and more worryingly, for those not directly involved, is what it reveals about elements of our society. Being abused for who we are, whether that is at work or going about our daily lives is completely unacceptable. Even more so when this abuse is directed at our families, friends and NHS colleagues.

We have a responsibility as humans to look after each other, and it is also the very basis of our professional identities. Some groups usually by virtue of gender, ethnicity or profession are in receipt of places of privilege in society, and it is important we reflect on how that privilege is used.

Demonstrating allyship to those who have borne the brunt of direct and indirect abuse is important. Statistically, we know that racist views will be embedded among a significant proportion of the 1.3 million employees in the NHS. The evidence is clear from multiple national body reports of the ongoing burden of racism endured by healthcare colleagues. Many of us have personal experience of racially motivated abuse, misogyny and other forms of ‘othering behaviours’ directed at ourselves and loved ones that predates the past fortnight. We know that this is a continuing problem that needs to be actively countered.

Within the Faculty we are very clear that we have a part to play in changing the wider culture within healthcare, as well as directly supporting all our members. We want our allyship response to be meaningful and sustainable, not tokenistic. We want our members to consider their involvement with the Faculty to be worthwhile in an organisation that ‘has their back’.

Faculty Board has been reverse mentored by volunteer Intensivists in Training (IITs) from BAME and International Medical Graduates (IMG) backgrounds to help us better understand the issues they face in their training. It is one element of an ongoing commitment and journey of development. We also have an incoming lead for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) based initially in our Careers, Recruitment and Workforce committee to help us develop better support and resources for our members as well as help us consider how we operate effectively, and who has contributed to this statement. EDI considerations have also been embedded completely within the upcoming GPICS version 3.

As we are building the new College, we are inevitably considering who that College should represent and how that operates. Social media does not tend to promote a culture of healthy debate and can fuel extreme attitudes and behaviours. The Faculty wishes to be a safe space for those working in Intensive Care Medicine, irrespective of our protected characteristics or professional identity. We want to create an environment for professional challenge and reflection, including the ability for individuals to disagree and move forward without feeling vulnerable as we work to build a better future for you, the profession and our patients.

The Faculty is an organisation that challenges and is open to challenge and in doing so, we must all find a way to reflect and embed the lessons we learn into our everyday lives and practice.

We have signposted below links that members may find helpful. We will continue to listen to our members, and if you would like to contact us please email contact@ficm.ac.uk. 

Our Wellbeing Hub provides additional signposting to sources of support.

Your Wellbeing

Having a voice, learning more and taking action are all building blocks of wellbeing.

Highlighting your own views

You may wish to write to your MP to express your views. You can find who your current MP is and their email address on the UK Parliament website. 

You can also identify and email your MP and/or other elected representatives your views directly using the WriteToThem website. The website is run by the charity mySociety and is free to use. 

Hate crimes 

Recent news reports show that people are experiencing hate crimes in different parts of the UK relating to the crisis.  

A hate crime, as outlined by the Government, is a criminal offence and can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, assault and damage to property. 

You can report a hate crime online or call 101 to speak to the police. Call 999 if you’re reporting a crime that’s in progress or if someone is in immediate danger. Witnesses can also report a hate crime. 

There are several national organisations that offer support to victims of hate crime. They provide services such as helplines, guidance, confidential safety advice and training. Some may be able to report a hate crime on a victim’s behalf. You can find links to these organisations on the ‘support for victims’ section of the government’s hate crime information website.  

Allyship 

This article  from the Harvard Business Review to being a better ally is a quick suggestion of what people can do now.

Sources of support 

Help is available if you need it. There are organisations that provide direct and confidential support for your mental health and wellbeing. The services listed below specialise in supporting doctors and others working for the NHS.   

UK-wide 

• The British Medical Association (BMA) has a free and confidential 24/7 counselling and peer support service open to all doctors and medical students, their partners and dependents. You do not need to be a member of the BMA to use the service and you can call them on 0330 123 1245.   

England 

• The NHS England has a confidential text support service, which you can access by texting FRONTLINE to 85258 for support 24/7. You can also use the NHS free and confidential self-check tool to access further information on the range of support offers that are available.  

England and Scotland 

• Practitioner Health is a free, confidential NHS Primary care mental health and addiction service with expertise in treating health and care professionals. It is for health and care staff in England and Scotland.  

Scotland 

• The National Wellbeing Hub is for everyone working in health, social care and social work in Scotland. It includes resources to help and support your mental and physical wellbeing as well as those to support colleagues.  

Wales 

• Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) has a range of wellbeing resources and tools from organisations across NHS Wales and Social Care Wales. This includes a useful directory of helplines that can provide listening and support services for mental health.  

Northern Ireland 

• The HSC website features a directory of the organisations that offer services to help improve mental health and emotional wellbeing within each of the five Health and Social Care Trust areas.