This job asks a lot of us, we turn up and deal with whatever is behind the door. Then we green up, and do it all over again. Most of the time we cope but, sometimes burnt out and stress builds up quietly, and we don't notice until it's already a lot.
Over the last few months, we have been working with TASC, The Ambulance Staff Charity, to add signposting and support tools inside SnapMedic. Alongside it you'll find Samaritans, Mind and some other links, plus two tools for the moments after a hard job: the Hot Debrief and Breathe.
SnapMedic Get Help Now screen asking what is going on, with options for after a difficult call, needing to talk and not coping
After a difficult call screen offering a Hot Debrief and TASC support
Get Help Now
Get Help Now is signposting. It doesn't diagnose anything and it isn't therapy. It just makes sure you aren't left searching for the right number at the point you least feel like searching.
If you're not sure whether something counts as struggling, it does. "Not coping right now" doesn't need to mean a crisis, and neither does "need to talk to someone". Nobody has to earn their way into asking for help.
Each option gives you the most useful next step for that situation. After a difficult call, that's a Hot Debrief first, then TASC. If you'd rather speak to someone, the call button is there, along with whether the phone line is open right now.
Eligibility prompt listing who TASC supports, with Yes and No buttons
Support options list with a card linking to the TASC Wellbeing Hub
# TASC first, for us
TASC is the charity for ambulance staff and they have been an absolute pleasure to work with. They run a wellbeing support team, a 24/7 crisis line, counselling, bereavement support, debt advice and more. It's confidential, and it's independent of your employer. We built these tools with TASC and asked for their input along the way.
The first time you open Get Help Now it asks whether you're eligible. TASC supports:
- Anyone working for a UK ambulance service
- Anyone who used to work for one, including retirees
- Paramedic science students from year 2 onwards
- Currently serving ambulance volunteers with at least 1 year of service
# Samaritans, Mind and 999 are there for everyone
Not everyone who uses SnapMedic is eligible for TASC, and nobody should be left without a number. So whether or not you're eligible for TASC, you'll always see:
- Samaritans on 116 123, any time of day or night
- Mind, with information pages matched to what you picked, such as trauma, stress, money worries or bereavement
- 999, if you or someone else is in immediate danger
Sexual Safety Support Phoneline screen with a confidential listening ear description and a call button
In crisis right now panel listing the TASC crisis line, emergency services and Samaritans
Hot Debrief
If you've ever finished a job and thought "I need to get that out of my head", this is for you.
It follows the STOP framework:
- Summarise what happened, sticking to facts rather than feelings
- Things that went well
- Opportunities, meaning what could go differently next time
- Points to action
It asks how distressed you are on a scale of 0 to 10 before you start and again at the end, so you can see whether getting it out of your head made a difference. You can link it to a shift and look back on past debriefs. If you finish with a high score, the app points you to support instead of leaving you with it.
If you use the shift tracker, the home screen also offers Need to process a call? around your shifts, so it's there when you need it.
Hot Debrief screen with a distress slider and the first STOP prompt
It isn't an incident report and it isn't looking for fault. Run it with your crewmate before you go available, or by yourself at the end of a night.
Breathe
Breathe is three short guided exercises for the moment after a job when your body hasn't caught up with your head:
- Box breathing (4 minutes): in, hold, out, hold, all for the same count
- 5-4-3-2-1 grounding (3 minutes): name what you can see, feel, hear, smell and taste to bring yourself back to where you are
- 4-7-8 breathing (5 minutes): a longer out-breath for when you're wound up
Follow the ring on screen and let the shift wait for a few minutes. Slowing your breathing helps your body come down off the adrenaline. It isn't treatment for anything, but it can take the edge off, and sometimes that's enough to get you to the end of the shift.
Wellbeing Toolbox listing box breathing, 5-4-3-2-1 grounding and 4-7-8 breathing
Box breathing exercise in progress with an animated breathing ring
Looking after yourself isn't weakness
Asking for help doesn't mean you can't cope. Being resilient in this job usually means knowing when to lean on your crew, your family and the services built for us. It asks a lot from us and sometimes it can be too much, so don't be afraid to ask for help or to use tools that support your wellbeing.
There's something to do straight away if you need to breathe. There's something to look back on, because your debriefs show you what a bad week looked like. And there's somewhere to go next, if it's more than an app can handle.
None of this replaces your crew, your trust's own support, occupational health or your GP. It's a starting point for when you're not sure where to start, or when you haven't yet realised you need one.
Your privacy
Your debriefs and other wellbeing entries are encrypted before they sync, and I can't read them. Using TASC's services through the app doesn't tell TASC who you are, because SnapMedic only gives you their contact details and links. You choose whether to call, email or apply.
If you need someone right now
- TASC Crisis Line: 0300 373 0898, 24/7, for ambulance staff
- Samaritans: 116 123, 24/7, for anyone
- 999: if you or someone else is in immediate danger
If something here helped, or you think something is missing, tell me. Tap the feedback button in the app or use feedback.snapmedic.app. And check in on your crewmates this week because we all have bad days.
