Longitudinal Observation of NHS Staff Wellbeing Following Introduction of the I-care Peer Support App

The coronavirus pandemic has had demonstrable impact upon healthcare workers. For healthcare workers this has meant disruption to vital access to peer support networks. In May 2020 the United Nations (UN) published a policy brief highlighting the importance of supporting mental health and wellbeing for communities affected by coronavirus. There is a need to find innovative solutions to facilitate support in the post-COVID-19 era and some innovations are emerging to fill this void but an evidence, long-term, sustainable, solution is yet to be proposed. In response, a digital app has been co-developed by UK researchers and healthcare staff with the intent to facilitate a virtual peer support mechanism for National Health Service (NHS) staff.