![\"Head](\"https:\/\/www.dauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Helen-Fernandes-pic-bw.jpg\")
\u201cThese are real people who are in trouble and distress. They will need some support somewhere, so where do they go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe commissioners that fund the service want to do a piece of work to find out if it\u2019s value for money, so rather than do that piece of work and keep the service running at the same time they\u2019re going to stop it, which seems a really bizarre thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NHS Practitioner Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
NHS Practitioner Health<\/a> is a free, confidential service for doctors and dentists across England with mental illness and addiction problems, who are working or looking to return to clinical practice. This service is a commitment as part of the NHS Long Term Plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Peter Bailey, who qualified as a GP in 1984 and has worked for NHS Practitioner Health for five years, said: \u201cI feel incredibly passionate about the decision that\u2019s been made \u2013 it\u2019s wrong-headed and stupid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t imagine anybody working for workforce wellbeing in the whole of the world who will think this is a good idea, to cancel a service that\u2019s working perfectly well while you have a think about whether you want to continue funding it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s ludicrous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Bailey said the service was originally set up following the tragic death of a hospital doctor who was unable to access confidential help for her mental illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said: \u201cIf someone like her were to call Practitioner Health on Monday, she would be turned away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another doctor who works for NHS Practitioner Health but wanted to remain anonymous said: \u201cFor six months it\u2019s likely there will be no support via Practitioner Health for addicted or suicidal hospital doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear people will be rejected from Monday<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is due to new commissioners, lack of funding, and poor awareness of the importance of supporting clinicians, not only for their own health but for patient safety issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 32,000 doctors and healthcare professionals have been treated by the service since it was founded in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ms Fernandes said: \u201cTo pull out a major support service for hospital-based doctors seems rather cruel. We\u2019re calling on the commissioners to reverse the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe funding of this service will be tiny in comparison to the NHS budget but the work it does is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’ve contacted the GMC for help on the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSupport for doctors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n