Since launching in November 2022, the Ambulance Staff Crisis Phoneline has provided UK NHS ambulance staff with immediate and ongoing suicide and mental health crisis care.
Offering much more than just a listening ear service, TASC developed the service to provide 24/7 in-the-moment help to navigate callers to a place of safety and stability, with the service then seamlessly transforming into an ongoing intensive support programme to keep callers safe, reduce their suicidal ideation and increase their resilience.
The service model has been a resounding success:
- 611 ambulance employees actively thinking about suicide supported during some of the worst times in their lives
- 189 people in crisis supported with 157 check-in calls made to people considered at risk of developing suicidal thoughts to support them before things got worse
- 882 specialist sessions provided to people needing longer-term support
- 376 extra counselling sessions funded for people with particularly traumatic or complex needs
Beth, an Emergency Medical Technician who used the service says:
“TASC saved my life. Last year I was about to take my own life when I rang the Ambulance Staff Crisis Phoneline and spoke to a wonderful person for nearly an hour. TASC was there on my darkest day, and I’m still here today because of their support. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.”
Through analysis of how many people are affected by every suicide in the UK, TASC estimates the work of the Ambulance Staff Crisis Phoneline has potentially impacted the lives of up to 82,500 people1.
Karl Demian, TASC’s Chief Executive Officer, says:
“The strength of the Ambulance Staff Crisis Phoneline lies in the service model, its confidentiality and independence from the ambulance services, the consistency of support provided by highly experienced people, the collaboration with our partners, and at its core its compassion for people in time of crisis.”
The Ambulance Staff Crisis Phoneline was made possible by funding from NHS England and was commissioned and co-designed by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) on behalf of the NHS ambulance sector. Established in 2011, AACE provides UK NHS ambulance services with an organisation that can support them in implementing nationally agreed policy.
Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE, said:
“This 24/7 phone line was introduced to ensure that at any time of the day or night, people working or volunteering in the UK NHS ambulance service had someone to speak to if they were experiencing suicidal ideation and support them to safety.
Although saddened to know so many people have found themselves in such a position since its launch, we are so pleased that this provision has been available and accessed. We would like to thank TASC and NHS England for their collaboration in this endeavour, and urge people in the UK NHS ambulance service to use the phone line if they’re in need and encourage their colleagues to do the same.”
Karl Demian continues:
“We’re so proud of everything we’ve achieved in the last two years, and we strive to do more to reduce the impact of suicide in the ambulance service and will continue to work with others to share our learning and our passion.”
The service and prevention model has proved so successful that TASC has now partnered with the Fire Fighters Charity and the Police Wellbeing Service, Oscar Kilo, to offer a similar service to save the lives of fire and police staff.
Tracy Nicholls, TASC’s Chair, said:
“Thanks to the support from AACE, the plan of a single-point of independent support for people who are experiencing thoughts of suicidality became a reality in 2022. I am incredibly proud of our TASC team and partners who have worked so hard make this a service a success.”
References
1. Centre for Suicide Prevention. (2019). How many people are affected by one suicide? [online] Available at: https://www.suicideinfo.ca/how-many-people-are-affected-by-one-suicide/. [Accessed 07/01/2025].
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