PFNI Set Up Fund To Help Officers With Work-Related Psychological Illnesses

A £1 million fund has been set up by the Police Federation of Northern Ireland (PFNI) to help officers suffering from work-related psychological illnesses.

The PFNI said the problem was getting worse and that last year, 37,674 days were lost, a jump of 60% since 2013.

At the 44th PFNI Annual Conference, Chairman Mark Lindsay called for an "urgent intervention".

He said: "This problem is getting progressively worse. Whole families are suffering because those hurting are falling through the cracks.

"This Fund will be administered by PFNI, through our partner agencies over the next three years. We intend to provide additional therapists and psychologists to increase the capacity to deal with these issues.

"We want to accelerate rapid access to those who need it urgently and are being failed by the current system."

The fund will involve education and prevention through raising awareness of the issues. It will also aim to improve resilience by providing officers with the tools and strategies to cope with the strain of their demanding roles.

Justice Minister, Claire Sugden, who also attended the conference, said the #WeAreYou campaign highlights the challenges that police officers face in their day to day jobs.

She said: "It reinforces that there is much more to the person in uniform – whether they are attending a road traffic collision or holding the line in a public order situation.

"The importance of community support and understanding of the role of officers, who are often the first responders to victims of crime, cannot be underestimated. It is in all our interests to ensure that we work with the community in Northern Ireland to develop that understanding further."

(CD)