NHSOS is a Community Interest Company
NHSOS was founded by Gerry McColl out of frustration with the lack of mental health support for medical staff in our existing healthcare system.
NHSOS provides healthcare workers with regular, trustworthy, reliable & confidential support.
NHSOS HELPS DOCTORS & HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS
Gerry McColl
Founder and Clinical Director
NHSOS
Gerry McColl founded NHSOS in 2023, here is our story...
The NHS is stretched to its breaking point, healthcare professionals have pushed themselves to the limit, as we all witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our lives depend upon these dedicated individuals. Yet, since the days of banging pots and pans in appreciation, their sacrifices have been largely forgotten by the media and government. What Pandemic?!
In 2023, the organisation 'Practitioner Health,' established within the NHS to improve the clinical health and mental well-being of the NHS workforce, shockingly withdrew funding from several groups that supported doctors and healthcare practitioners battling long term chronic illness as a result of contracting COVID-19 in their workplace.
The decision to withdraw this funding was potentially catastrophic, leaving these professionals without essential support.
I was outraged on their behalf and decided to heavily subsidise these groups to ensure they could continue.
Unfortunately, I can only continue to undertake this work and grow this life saving service with your help.
The urgency of this crisis grows as my individual capacity to meet increasing demand diminishes and I can no longer cover the costs without donations.
I have several decades of experience in mental health services across various settings - including the NHS, offender management, charities such as Macmillan Cancer Care and Relate, and training postgraduate clinical trainees at Leicester University and the University of Oxford - I have founded NHSOS to address this crisis.
The current state of mental health and well-being among healthcare professionals is beyond anything I could have imagined when I began my career.
The lack of support for medical staff is unacceptable, I am committed to providing as much support as possible, but my resources are stretched whilst the demand for this work increases every day.
With your support, I hope NHSOS will continue to grow and make a significant difference to practitioners within our healthcare service.
How NHSOS began...
The mental health crisis of our NHS staff has reached breaking point
NHSOS does things differently...
NHSOS is a Community Interest Company which is completely separate from the NHS. We do not face the same pressures that NHS staff experience on a daily basis as we are an independent organisation set up specifically to support the mental and physical wellbeing of doctors and healthcare practitioners in the UK.
NHSOS acknowledge the hard work and dedication of healthcare practitioners and regularly witness the long term negative effects of "toxic goodwill" experienced by over stretched and under resourced medical practitioners.
NHSOS group members often face immense pressure to stretch their own resources to support colleagues and patients within the NHS. This goodwill, while well-intentioned, can lead to exhaustion and burnout - the 'toxic' component of 'toxic goodwill'.
At NHSOS we foster a different culture to the NHS by offering hope and positive change to our group members whilst valuing our qualified and experienced therapists and paying them well for their expertise and time. We are under no pressure to encourage healthcare practitioners to push themselves to breaking point by working extra hours, meeting government targets or reducing waiting lists. We do not ask our staff to provide their skills for free, we value their time and experience and NHSOS does not exploit goodwill.
We are here to listen to, validate, acknowledge and support doctors and healthcare practitioners that need a neutral and nurturing place to help them recover. Our work with these healthcare practitioners really does make a positive difference to their lives which in turn benefits their families, friends, patients and colleagues working in the existing healthcare system.
" I found the support from NHSOS completely invaluable to my recovery from, and acceptance of, the condition of Long Covid. The frequency of sessions and group support structure has ensured strong relationships could be forged, allowing vulnerability and authenticity in a 'safe space'. "
Paediatrician
~ NHSOS support group member
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many doctors and healthcare practitioners are grappling with PTSD, burnout, poor mental and physical health, and the debilitating effects of 'Long Covid', often battling these challenges alone.
NHSOS is financially subsidised by Gerry McColl who offers confidential online support groups to any doctor or healthcare practitioner seeking help. However, this financial model is not sustainable and to continue providing and growing this vital support for our healthcare heroes he urgently need your donations.
By growing this service more medical professionals will be able to participate and receive the support they so greatly need.
Banging pots and pans isn't enough.
By donating to NHSOS, you will be funding this crucial service.