NHS CHECK has already helped individual NHS Trusts in identifying lack of PPE availability, assisted with obtaining funding to contribute towards staff wellbeing and given a voice to all staff about their wellbeing needs.

We are not the only research group to have reported high levels of distress and/or psychological disorders, but our study is unique in that it is representative across England, involves all staff, not just one professional group, uses individual recognisable data (and because of this is already on the first follow up), and is fully supported by NHS-England.

NHS CHECK is now running at 18 sites nationwide and 27,000 staff members have taken part and consented to follow up. The study is open to all staff working at these participating sites. While we have completed baseline data collection, the pandemic continues. Without high quality data upon which to base funding decisions, the NHS will be flying blind in both understanding what the impact of the pandemic on staff has been, and, importantly, what can be done to ensure the NHS can allocate their limited resource and budget in the best possible way.

Our findings will continue to inform an effective support strategy for NHS staff during and following the pandemic, for example through workforce planning, emergency response strategies, or targeted interventions. The project team and partners have extensive networks in policy and practice, including NHS England/Improvement, allowing for rapid dissemination of findings.

Professor Sir Simon Wessely, NHS CHECK Chief Investigator