While some of us dare to imagine a world after Covid19, three million NHS and frontline workers carry it with them every day. Their fight against the virus continues while over 2 in 5 of them are suffering with PTSD. That’s double the rate found in military veterans with recent combat experience. One crisis has caused another.

On Emergency Services Day in September 2021, we launched Hopeline19 - a free phone service for the nation to leave messages for frontline workers. Anyone who needs it can call the line for free 24/7 to hear a randomised series of messages from the British public. The accompanying campaign encouraged usage of the phone line and further support for mental health charity Frontline19.

Since then, Hopeline19 has become a lifeline for NHS. At its peak it received 6000 calls a day from workers struggling to cope with the long-term mental health effects of the pandemic and members of the public showing their support.

Emily Moorhouse, an A&E nurse, talked about her experience of using Hopeline19 in a BBC interview:

“It’s just incredible. It is just so good. I listened to one of the notes that had been uploaded when I was on a nightshift and it gave me goose bumps. It really did. And it makes you feel so worthy.

"I think because we've been made to feel so worthless recently, the Hopeline is just what nurses and doctors need at the moment. We need that uplift from the public. We need the public to be behind us because it helps massively. It helps keeps our spirits up."

"There are times you feel like you're losing yourself a little bit and you need that reminder of why you're doing this and that's what Hopeline19 does, it just reminds you of who you're doing it for."

Frontline19 - Hopeline19

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