By Iain Gray

Copyright newsletter

Organised by the Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland (RCGPNI), the tree-planting ceremony in Carryduff GP Surgery in Co Down was attended by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Junior Minister Jolene Bunting, as well as senior medics. Statistics show that, across the UK, one doctor takes their own life every three weeks and one nurse takes their own life every week. Describing the figures as “shocking”, the RCGPNI says they are “a stark reminder that the wellbeing of our healthcare workers is paramount”. The event was also part of RCGPNI’s ongoing campaign to get a potentially life-saving system that mainland Britain already has extended to Northern Ireland. The organisation wants to see a confidential NHS mental health service specifically for doctors and healthcare staff set up in the province, something that already exists in England, Scotland and Wales. RCGPNI joined in with the National Memorial Tree Campaign, which is led by medical mental health charity Doctors In Distress, to highlight the need for such a service along with honouring the memory of healthcare professionals who lost their lives to suicide. Today’s tree-planting event heard of the impact of poor mental health and the devastation of suicide in our health care workers, as well as how those can be addressed. Speaking were Northern Ireland’s mental health champion, professor Siobhan O’Neill, Doctors In Distress trustee Leon Atkins, and Dr Helen Toal, a consultant psychiatrist in Belfast. Dr Ursula Mason, chair of RCGPNI and GP partner at Carryduff Surgery, said the event was “about eliminating the stigma around suicide and showing our support and solidarity with all doctors and healthcare staff in Northern Ireland, who continue to do amazing work for patients” as well as remembering much-missed colleagues. She added: “Doctors in Northern Ireland are not immune to burnout, stress, trauma or mental illness. “Northern Ireland remains the only jurisdiction on these islands to be without a commissioned, confidential NHS mental health service for healthcare professionals. “It is important to reflect on the colleagues who have lost their lives to suicide and those who are struggling with their own mental wellbeing. It was positive to speak with ministers, health committee members and other key stakeholders, who all share the willingness to talk about suicide in our workforce and to work towards raising awareness and providing support for this vital issue.” Doctors In Distress trustee Leon Atkins said the charity is “honoured to have RCGPNI join our National Memorial Tree Campaign”, a move he described as a powerful statement of the Northern Ireland wing of the Royal College’s “commitment to supporting the mental health and well-being of healthcare professionals”. “This campaign is about more than remembrance,” he added. “It’s about changing the conversation around suicide – breaking the stigma, removing barriers, and creating space for honest, compassionate dialogue. “With the backing of organisations like RCGP NI, we can continue to push for a healthier, more supportive culture across healthcare, and ensure that those who are struggling are never alone.”