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First Aid Kit
“The Social Toolkit” Tools and templates to adopt and adapt where you work.
🌟WHAM First Aid Kit
Clinician Well-Being
Talking about wellbeing in today’s NHS can feel like fantasy. The rota gaps. The backlog. The impossible pressures. Many clinicians are just trying to get through the day, never mind optimise joy.
But burnout isn't just a personal issue—it's a systems issue. And the ripple effects are real: worse outcomes for patients, fragile teams, rising costs, and human beings breaking under the weight of care.
At WHAM, we believe wellbeing is not a luxury. It's a foundation. Because we cannot build a fairer, braver healthcare system if we're running on empty.
Our approach is simple:
- Care for yourself
- Support each other
- Change the system
This isn’t about fixing everything overnight. It’s about creating small shifts that help you reclaim energy, agency, and purpose—so you can keep showing up for what matters.
💪 Personal Wellbeing
Healthcare often teaches us to put ourselves last. But sustainable care starts with you.
WHAM's Five Steps for Personal Wellbeing:
- Notice & Name Your Feelings – Build emotional literacy and give your experiences language.
- Find Balance – Reclaim space for rest, joy and recharge without guilt.
- Manage Your Energy – Learn to prioritise, set boundaries, and say no when needed.
- Challenge Your Thoughts – Identify cognitive traps and reframe with compassion.
- Reach Out – You're not alone. Seeking help is strength, not failure.
Whether it's a quiet coffee, therapy, or a trusted conversation—every step counts.
Helpful Links:
🧳 Team Wellbeing
We don’t just survive because of resilience. We survive because of each other.Team wellbeing means fostering compassion, connection, and psychological safety. Even small shifts can ripple widely.
Explore key movements:
1. Civility Saves Lives – Rudeness damages care. Respect saves it. Evidence + Talks
2. Compassionate Leadership – Led by Prof. Michael West. King’s Fund Long Read
Build belonging by:
- Saying thank you
- Offering inclusive social events
- Valuing everyone's contribution
And don't forget:
- Understand and uplift marginalised colleagues
- Learn from the voices less often heard (IMGs, neurodivergent doctors, disabled staff)
🏛️ Organisational Wellbeing
When you feel ready to look up and out—you’re not alone.
The WHAM community is here to support clinicians who want to take on the deeper cultural and systemic roots of burnout and moral injury.
Key focus areas:
Psychological Safety – Cultivate spaces where people can speak up without fear. Amy Edmondson explains how
Facilities That Care – Push for basics: food, rest, lockers, secure parking.
Reflective Spaces – Explore Schwarz Rounds or Balint Groups. Point of Care Foundation
Workload, Rostering & Flexibility – Discover self-rostering and team job plannin
Together, we can advocate for the kind of systems that don’t just demand compassion—but make it possible.
WHAM is your space to share, learn and shape better ways to be well—so we can keep doing the work that matters most.