Training for mental health first aiders

4 FEBRUARY 2025

Thanks to your donations, refresher training for Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders) has been able to take place across the Trust.

MHFAaiders require refresher training every three years, and support from York & Scarborough Hospitals charity has meant they can continue to identify, understand and help staff who may be experiencing a mental health issue.

Having staff that are qualified on each hospital site will enable other staff that may be having mental health problems to access the MHFAiders for help and advice. 

Rachel Marson, Health and Wellbeing Lead, said "We now have 121 members of staff that are trained as Mental Health First Aiders across the Trust, based at various sites.  Our Mental Health First Aiders can help to support any member of staff who may be experiencing mental health issues. 

Caring for staff and making sure that they are mentally fit to meet the service demands will ensure better patient care and better health of the overall workforce."

York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity also fund the MHFA badges, which are worn to help identify those staff members who have received the training. Pictured are MHFAiders Franco Vilani, Stefanie Greenwood and Rachel Marson.

For more information about how to access this support or to train as a Mental Health First Aider, please email yhs-tr.MHFA@nhs.net

Rachel added ‘Time to Talk Day on 6th February 2025 is the nations biggest mental health conversation, and is a day for friends, families, communities and workplaces to come together to talk, listen and change lives. To support this, the Staff Health and Wellbeing Team, supported by the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian will be visiting hospital sites to offer support and signposting.