NHS Charities Together has released new research which shows that the majority fo the public say the hard work of NHS staff during the pandemic makes them proud to be British.

Key findings from the YouGov survey of NHS workers and the general public also include 86 Oper cent of the general public agree NHS staff have been there for us during the pandemic, and 88 per cent of NHS staff say they feel proud to work for the NHS – and NHS healthcare workers remain the most respected of any profession among the general public surveyed (63 per cent).

Furthermore, nearly two thirds of the public say they respect NHS healthcare workers and nearly three in ten people say they would now consider a role in the NHS if they were starting their career again.

NHS Charities Together has published the research to launch a new appeal urging the public to be ‘there for them’ as NHS staff face the triple challenge of dealing with the continuing impact of Covid, tackling the backlog of other patients who desperately need treatment and making sure their own mental health isn’t a casualty of the crisis. With many experiencing mental health difficulties as a result of the pandemic, the charity says their emotional scars will take months or years to heal.

NHS Charities Together will use the funds raised through the new appeal to significantly ramp up the mental health and well-being programmes and facilities available for staff across the UK.

Ellie Orton, CEO of NHS Charities Together, said: “The NHS is doing a magnificent job combatting the pandemic and supporting the patients and families affected but some of the burden is falling on NHS staff and it is taking its toll. Staff have been making difficult decisions every day when caring for very ill patients. The public showed overwhelming support for NHS staff over the last year, and we need to continue to be there for them, now and in the longer term as the NHS recovers from the most challenging time in its history.

“The NHS is doing all it can to support staff in this area, but the scale of the challenge is so huge. They need all of our support. It makes a huge difference for them knowing the public has got their back.”