Where to get help

A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a medical emergency.

Examples of mental health emergencies include thinking you’re at risk of taking your own life or seriously harming yourself and needing immediate medical attention.

Call 999 if you or someone you know experiences an acute life-threatening medical or mental health emergency.

You can go to A&E directly if you need immediate help and are worried about your safety. You may be close to acting on suicidal thoughts or have seriously harmed yourself.

Your manager can refer you or you can self-refer to our occupational health service, where we can help treat any physical health issues that are effecting your work. We know how not feeling your best can have a detrimental effect on your mental health and wellbeing. At Occupational Health and Wellbeing you will receive support and guidance from specialized: Oh advisers, Nurses, doctors, consultants and psychiatrists.

Email us to download the appropriate referral forms.

The service is for all CUH staff (clinical and non-clinical) experiencing moderate to severe mental health symptoms that are impacting significantly on their functioning. The multi-disciplinary team offers rapid access to psychiatric assessment and advice. Following your assessment, you may be offered one, or a combination, of the following:

• ongoing psychiatric review
• brief mental health interventions delivered by our clinical nurse specialist team
• evidence based psychological interventions delivered by clinical psychologists
• Oh advice and support
• signposting or referral to other services who can provide more appropriate support

You can be referred to SMHS via the CUH Occupational Health Team (Tel: 01223 216767) or via your GP. Most appointments are offered remotely via video call.

Please be aware that the SMHS is NOT an emergency mental health service. For urgent mental health concerns please contact the First Response Service (available 24/7) by calling 111 and selecting option 2.

People requiring standalone psychological therapy for mild to moderate common mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, OCD, single event trauma) should self-refer to their local Improving Access of Psychological Therapies Team. You can search for your local service via the NHS website (opens in a new tab).

Please see the CPFT website for further information on the SMHS (opens in a new tab).

Both CUH and RPH staff can receive Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for anxiety (including panic and post-traumatic stress), depression, stress, obsessive compulsive disorder and low self-esteem.

Options include personal therapy (face-to-face, telephone or through instant messaging), computerised CBT, guided self-help and telephone support.

This is a free NHS service for staff aged 17 years and older run by the Psychological Wellbeing Service. There is no upper age limit and the service is based at Oh Occupational Health and Wellbeing one day a week.

Please email the PWS at CPFT to access the self-referral form.

NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies is part of the National NHS Talking Therapies services and is the new name for CPFT Psychological Wellbeing Service. Their aim is to make psychological therapies more accessible to people experiencing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The psychological therapies offered are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) visit the CPFT website to find out more (opens in a new tab).

NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies service provides help to people aged 17 and over who are experiencing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders, including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD); social anxiety; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); health anxiety; panic; phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). However, you do not need a diagnosis to access the service and NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies also see people with problems such as stress, low confidence, sleep disturbance and self-esteem issues. There is no upper age limit for people accessing our service. You can self-refer online on the CPFT website (opens in a new tab).

Contact NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies

Telephone: 0300 300 0055
Phone lines are operational: 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday (closed Bank Holidays)

Email Talking Therapies.

Please note, NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies is not a crisis or emergency service and cannot provide an urgent response. If you are in a mental health crisis and need urgent support, please contact our First Response Service on 111, then select the option for mental health.

MIND (opens in a new tab) have a lot of useful information and give great support for mental wellbeing. MIND suggest Five Ways to Wellbeing that should be followed to improve your mental health wellbeing

• Connect – stay connected to family and friends it improves health and wellbeing
• Keep active – even low level exercise can make you feel better
• Take notice – take time to notice the world around you, what is good, beautiful e.g. scenery
• Keep learning – try something new, join a group
• Give – do something nice for someone else it will make you feel better e.g. volunteer 
Mind In Cambridge.

MIND website (opens in a new tab)
Telephone: 01223 311320

Schwartz Rounds is also available for CUH staff. It is a confidential, multidisciplinary, forum where staff can discuss emotional and social dilemmas that arise in caring for patients which meets the second Thursday, 1-2pm every month at the Clifford Albutt Theatre. This initiative is being led by Dr Alasdair Coles, Clinical Lead; Dr Annabel Price, Facilitator; Revd Dr Derek Fraser, Facilitator and Coordinator.