Local Sources of Support

You may find the following local sources of support useful:


  • Your GP: Do not forget this valuable source of support for your health and wellbeing. Many of the other services listed will expect you to make contact with your GP to ensure hollistic care.


  • Hospital Chaplaincy: All faiths. Non-urgent requests 01865 857921 or chaplaincy@ouh.nhs.uk For urgent requests go via switch and ask for 'on call chaplain'


  • Employee Assistance Programme: They employ professionally qualified Counsellors and Information Specialists, who are experienced in helping people to deal with all kinds of practical and emotional issues such as Wellbeing, family matters, relationships, debt management, workplace issues, and much more. The service is confidential and free of charge for OUH staff to use. Call 0800 174319. OUH staff can speak to a professional counsellor or information specialist in confidence. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and is accessible by phone or online; it can provide information booklets, articles, resource information on support services in your local area and even short term face-to-face counselling to help get you back on track. www.carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk Please contact anyone on the welfare team or email Listening Ears for the usernames and password for this service.


  • Occupational Health: Accessible by all OUH staff. Your line manager can refer you or you can self-refer via forms on the intranet on the OH page or via. (Occupational health notes are kept on a different server and are not shared with third parties unless you sign a legal agreement to share them.)

Telephone: 01865 223325

Email: OccupationalHealthJR@ouh.nhs.uk


  • Medic Support - This service offers a rapid response and access to Cognitive-behavioural therapy for those training in the Oxford Deanery. They can be contacted on medic.support@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk The Welfare Team have experience of both carefirst and Medic Support and have found that Medic Support might be more appropriate for trainee use.


  • Psychological therapies (IAPT) Oxford: Talking Space Plus. Available to all staff living in Oxfordshire. You can refer yourself to this service without a referral from your GP.

Telephone: 01865 901 222

Email: talkingspaceplus@nhs.net

Online: sites.google.com/view/ndoawellbeinghub/home/local-sources-of-support

  • Psychological therapies (IAPT) Buckinghamshire: Healthy Minds Bucks. Available to all staff living in Bucks. Again you can self refer.

Telephone: 01865 901 600

Online: www.iaptportal.co.uk/selfreferral.aspx?ServiceCode=BUCKS&ReferralType=0%20%5C


  • 24/7 Mental Health Helpline Oxford and Bucks. Available to all staff living in Oxfordshire and Bucks. Provides first line assessment, advice and signposting for those not already known to mental health services and who are not in crisis.

Telephone: NHS 111 for adults and children/adolescents

Please note the helpline moved to 111 in Dec 2020, previously advertised telephone numbers are now invalid.



  • Covid-19: A resource set up by trainees of the Thames Valley, supported by the Thames Valley Professional Support Unit, with multiple sources of support and self help ideas www.covid19-prosupport.com




The above resources are available to OUH staff members and where indicated Thames Valley trainees only.