Emergency service workers suffering post-traumatic stress following terror attacks and Grenfell fire
Around 80 police officers and firefighters are seeking help for post-traumatic stress every day and two have taken their own lives, as they struggle to cope with events such as the recent terror attacks and the Grenfell fire, new figures have revealed.
A charity set up last year to help emergency workers deal with psychological problems said its helpline had been inundated in the wake of recent events.
PTSD999 said at least two officers who had requested help from the charity had since committed suicide.
The organisation also warned that its research suggested almost a fifth of all serving police officers could be suffering from mental trauma caused by events they had experienced at work.
Figures have suggested that police officers have taken more than a million sick days off over the last three years because of psychological problems.
The recent terror attacks in Manchester and London and the Grenfell Tower disaster has exposed police and firefighters to unprecedented levels of persistent trauma, with many having to deal with with scores of dead and badly hurt children.
But some of those working in the emergency services have admitted they are reluctant to seek help afterwards because they fear it will count against them.
One police officer, who supervises staff who attended the incidents at Manchester, Grenfell Tower and London Bridge, said many were at breaking point but did not trust management enough to seek help.
He said: "They were going into flats at Grenfell and seeing families basically huddled together - it just doesn't bear thinking about.
"Some officers feel there's nothing for them, not unless they go to their own GPs and seek help themselves."
Another Met source added: "Nobody trusts anybody in the police, least of all the management team, because of this constant feeling that people are going to be hung out to dry."
The source went on: "Because morale is low, people's mental health is low and they're less likely to bounce back from trauma as they might have been before."
Former firefighter, Gary Thornett, who retired recently after 30-years with the London Fire Brigade, said: "The culture has changed a lot in recent years but many of the guys are still not getting the help they need.
"It's all done internally and there's a real distrust there about management and the impact it could have on their job.
"People who serve in the military are properly looked after, but that's not the case yet in the fire service."
But it is also acknowledged that both the police and fire service retain a "macho culture" where seeking help is regarded as a sign of weakness.
Simon Durance, co-founder of PTSD999, said: "Evidence from blue light services staff and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sufferers suggests the needs for staff suffering from PTSD are not being met.
"Many charities just signpost and actually don't deliver any treatment or diagnosis, and too much money is wasted talking about doing stuff and none spent on doing anything like treatment."
A spokesman for the Met accepted that 2017 had seen an unprecedented number of major incidents in succession, but said the force was working hard to provide the mental health support those affected.
Dany Cotton, Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, also said the service was rolling out support to those affected by the Grenfell fire.
She said: "Going forward, counsellors are visiting staff this week and carrying out a psychological health check of each individual and identifying further staff who might need support.
"We have an on-call counsellor available to all staff 24/7. The ongoing mental wellbeing of all of my staff will continue to be one of my main priorities."
