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NHS wellbeing support helpline now available
The NHS in England has launched a mental health hotline and a range of wellbeing support to care for and protect all NHS people during this challenging time, whether at the front line or in supporting services.
All NHS staff can call 0300 131 7000 or text FRONTLINE to 85258 to get help, support and advice from thousands of specially trained volunteers, for the pressures they face every day during the global health emergency.
The phone line will be open between 7am and 11pm every day, while the text service will be 24/7.
Pay and banding for nursing students choosing to join the workforce during the Covid-19 emergency: Guidance from the Staff Council has now been issued to employers covering job descriptions and banding for students taking up the option to enter paid placements.
This covers mid-programme students and students in the final six months of their programmes. Students with concerns are advised to discuss these with their universities first, and check that employers and universities are sticking to the national agreement which contains clear protections for students. If you still have concerns about how students are being treated, refer these to your regional staff and the national health team.
The HCPC, the Council of Deans for Health and the four nations have published a joint statement about how they will support student allied health professionals to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak.
This includes the provision that all final year AHP students who have completed their clinical placements and been approved by their Higher Education Institution as ready have been automatically registered on a new temporary register by the HCPC. The temporary register provides a list of professionals who could go into practise. It is not mandatory for individuals on the temporary register to go into practice.
Health Education England has published guidance for AHP students on how they can help the Covid-19 response and the impact it will have on their studies.

The guidance gives details of the HCPC temporary register and includes the provision, which UNISON and staffside colleagues pushed for, that: “If a final year student decided to practise during the Covid-19 pandemic, they would be allowed to continue their studies once this is over. Government will be working with education providers to facilitate this so that students do not suffer financially as a result of the Covid-19 response.”