The Aim
NHS CHECK started as a major study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the short and long-term health and wellbeing of all staff working within 18 partner NHS Trusts.
The study continues to be as important as ever as pressures on the NHS continue due to many factors, not just the lasting affects of the pandemic.
It will explore the various support programmes that staff may have taken part in to see how helpful they were, and examine whether there is other support that could be valuable.
We will take what we find and use it to create better support for the NHS.
What it Involves
Starting in March 2020 we have now fulfilled several rounds of surveys and will be sending out the next follow up survey in February 2023.
Since 2020 there are new pressures facing the NHS, not just the COVID-19 pandemic, which are just as important to measure when it comes to the mental health of the NHS.
It’s only by tracking differences over time that we will start to understand the intricacies and be able to best suggest support.
To read the protocol paper which explains the methods and analysis, please click here
Hearing all Voices
We have partnered with the Tides Study to examine how discrimination contributes to inequalities in health and health services.
The Results
Findings from this research will be shared via participating NHS Trusts, who will use communications channels including websites and staff newsletters. We may also send out short summaries of the results via email. Research findings will also be shared with other NHS Trusts nationally via networks and professional bodies. In addition we will publish our findings in academic journals, and present them at conferences and meetings with those involved in staff health and wellbeing for the NHS. We will also put summaries on this website.
We will be working with members of the public and our staff across our NHS sites to ensure the findings reach everyone involved.
Please refer to the How It’s Helping and Study Findings pages to see the latest updates.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
This study is looking at staff at 18 NHS Trusts across England to to represent the different parts of the country. If you are in one of the participating Trusts, you can take part.
These are:
Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Devon Partnership NHS Trust
East Suffolk & North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Guys & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Health & Social Care Trust
South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Tees Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundations Trust
University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Foundation Trust
If you belong to another NHS Trust we’re afraid you can’t take part, as we will not be able to analyse your data, but please be assured that we have already spoken to more than 20,000 of your colleagues.
It’s important we follow up with our previous participants to see how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted NHS staff in the long-term. We also want to know more about other current stressors, beyond COVID-19, and how these affect you.
You can withdraw yourself from the study at any time until the end of the study without giving a reason by contacting a member of the research team. You can stop participating simply by stopping completion of the surveys. You can also email the study team using the dedicated research team email address ([email protected]) to indicate that you are no longer willing to participate in this study. We aim to publish non-identifiable data in brief summaries within weeks of data collection. We will write our reports in a way that no one can work out that you took part in the study
If you want more details about this study, like what will happen if you take part, or more information about how your data will be handled, have a look at our Participant Information Sheet.
You can contact the research team at [email protected]. We aim to respond to all queries in two working days.
This study has been approved by the Health Research Authority, reference number (282686). You can find more details in our Participant Information Sheet.
A team from KCL working independently of the NHS alongside colleagues from University College London and 18 Partner NHS Trusts. The principal investigator is Prof. Sir Simon Wessely. We are also partnering with the Tides study to make sure we capture experiences of inequality and discrimination
A new clinical trial exploring the potential effects of using a wellbeing smartphone app – “Foundations”. The app contains over 100 evidence-based programs and activities tailored to help manage stress whilst also building resilience.
Statistical Analysis Plan v1.2