Charity, Nurse Lifeline urges funders to support their essential peer-support service

The charity was born out of the pandemic by inspirational front-line nurses who recognised a critical need to support their peers. The call line 0808 801 0455 is available every weekday evening from 7 to 10pm.

The uniqueness of the service is that the phone line is managed by registered or recently retired nurses and midwives. Within a safe, non-judgemental, non-stigmatised and confidential space, this healthcare community can offload and decompress with like-minded professionals united by a common experience and a shared understanding. With a large hospital presence in Milton Keynes, Aylesbury, Wycombe and Oxford, the service provides crucial support to key-worker communities. The charity has seen an increase in calls from those in crisis, although they urge people to reach out before they get to this point.

In a recent survey by Unison, it was recognised that mental health within healthcare is even lower now than it was during the pandemic with more than three in ten (31%) NHS employees having had to take time off work with mental health issues in the past year. With further concerns over the current struggles within the NHS and the cost-of-living crisis, mental health has taken yet another hit as people struggle to manage the work-life balance.

The charity is committed to providing this ongoing service but in a dog-eat-dog environment, charities are struggling for funding as they compete for support.

Chair and CEO, Teresa Griffiths, CBE, OBE, ARRC comments:

“We are desperate to continue to make a difference and to reach even more people who need us, but we can’t do this alone. Without ongoing funding support, we will cease to be able to exist. Our callers put their lives on the line for us during the pandemic and experience daily emotional and physical pressures. As a society, we cannot afford for more and more staff to suffer burn-out and want to leave the profession.”

If you are a trust, foundation, corporate or individual donor, willing and able to support Nurse Lifeline to carry on their life-saving work, please do get in touch – [email protected]. You cannot put a price on saving a life. www.nurselifeline.org.uk