Adam Kay Plants Tree for 'Shruti' at Ealing Hospital
Memorial for NHS staff who have died by suicide mirrors scene in TV series
Adam Kay (right) attended ceremony to plant the tree
A special ceremony was held this Thursday (4 August) at Ealing Hospital in which a tree was planted in memory of NHS staff who have died by suicide.
Dubbed ‘Shruti’s Tree’ after the fictional junior doctor who took her own life in the BBC drama This is Going to Hurt, the planting was carried out by the writer of the series and former doctor Adam Kay.
The Gingko tree was planted outside the hospital which was the location for the drama which Adam Kay based on his real-life diaries when working for the NHS. Adam was joined by representatives of Doctors in Distress and the Laura Hyde Foundation.
The ceremony was a poignant moment for Ealing surgeon Peter McDonald who remembers a colleague taking their own life due to work pressures earlier in his career.
Peter, 70, said, “I always stress to younger doctors the importance of not bottling things up and talking to someone. It’s not a sign of weakness and that other person can be a loved one, a friend, colleague or a therapist. We are all human at the end of the day.”
Hundreds of health professionals have taken their own lives in the past decade, with the demands of their jobs only intensifying throughout the pandemic. More than 220 nurses tried to end their lives during the first year of the pandemic in 2020 with more than 300 deaths in the seven preceding years.
The show focused on the mental wellbeing of NHS staff working under extraordinary pressures and culminated in the death by suicide of Shruti played by Ambika Mod.
A moving scene sees a tree planted outside the hospital in Shruti’s memory and sparked numerous real-life visits from people trying to find the location.
The ensuing interest led to a conversation between Adam and the hospital trust and the agreement that a real tree would be a fitting tribute to NHS staff nationwide who have taken their lives.
Ambika Mod who plays Shruti with the new plaque
Adam Kay said, “Suicide among healthcare workers has long been a taboo subject which has been ignored and brushed under the carpet. I will be forever grateful to the BBC for allowing me to bring this crucial topic to the attention on millions of viewers.
“I have no doubt that talking more openly about mental health will save lives. My thanks go to the hospital trust for being wonderfully supportive of the first UK memorial to healthcare workers who have died by suicide.”
Pippa Nightingale Chief Executive of LNWH Trust, added, “I started my career as a midwife so am aware of the pressure frontline staff can find themselves under.
“I think the NHS has learnt a lot from the pandemic and the importance of providing better mental health and wellbeing support to staff. It is tragic that the people who care for us sometimes don’t feel they have someone to turn to themselves.”
Shruti - the fictional doctor who took her life in the TV series. Picture: BBC
The sentiment was echoed by Amandip Sidhu, founder of charity Doctors in Distress, whose brother took his life while working as a consultant cardiologist.
“My brother had a strong sense of duty. He didn’t want to let patients down and eventually allowed his own health to be compromised. The NHS has to do more to do to ensure a supporting and caring environment exists for all its staff. There is no healthcare without self-care and
Doctors in Distress is one charity that raise awareness of these issues providing a confidential support service as well as campaigning for positive change in the health service.”
The Laura Hyde Foundation (LHF) also looks out for the mental welfare of all emergency services and medical workers following the death of nurse Laura Hyde.
Liam Barnes, founder of LHF, said: “The main challenge is the feeling that you must maintain a stiff upper lip and that it is just part of the job. We must change attitude.
“No-one should not be weighed down by feelings of shame, weakness or a culture that prevents people getting the help they require.”
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August 8, 2022