Written Question·Department of Health and Social Care·UIN 66475

Ambulance Services: Mental Health Services

Tabled: 9 July 2025
Answered: 15 July 2025

Question

Danny Beales

LabourUxbridge and South Ruislip

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of adequacy of the (a) support available to ambulance staff who attend traumatic callouts and (b) suicide prevention training provided to ambulance staff.

Answer

Karin Smyth

The mental health of all National Health Service staff is taken seriously, including ambulance staff as responders to emergency incidents. Ambulance trusts and the Association of Ambulance Trust Chief Executives have worked closely with NHS England to ensure there is a good range of health and wellbeing support for staff. This includes an ambulance sector specific suicide prevention pathway to provide immediate support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for staff experiencing suicidal ideation. At a national level, ambulance trust employees have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support, alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.