William: I’ve seen things that left me traumatised for weeks
Prince lays bare ordeal of ambulance pilot work in video call to front-line staff
THE Duke of Cambridge has told how he was left traumatised for weeks on end after seeing people die when he was an air ambulance pilot.
Speaking to front-line workers dealing with the pandemic, William admitted his job made the world feel like a ‘darker, blacker place’ and it often affected his family life.
He said he worries about the current impact on emergency staff who are seeing so much trauma and death.
The prince, 38, who was joined on the call by his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, said: ‘Some of it I noticed from my previous spell flying with the air ambulance with the team.
‘When you see so much death and so much bereavement it does impact how you see the world. I think you said about thinking everyone around you is going to die, that is what really worries me about the frontline staff at the moment.
‘That you are so under the cosh at the moment and so pressurised and you’re seeing such high levels of sadness, trauma, death, that it impacts your own life and family life because it is always there.
‘You’re so drawn into it, which everyone is, it is only natural that would happen.
‘But that’s what I think a lot of the public don’t understand, that when you’re surrounded by that level of intense trauma and sadness and bereavement.
‘It really does, it stays with you, at home it stays with you for weeks on end, doesn’t it, and you see the world in a much more, slightly depressed, darker, blacker place.’
The prince provided emergency medical care with doctors and paramedics at the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017.
He spoke out about his experiences in a video call with front-line workers and counsellors about bereavement support.
William and Kate, 39, both stressed it was vital that front-line personnel reach out for support.
And they said that the stigma surrounding seeking help for their mental health must end.
The prince added: ‘This is an unprecedented time we are all facing. I think that really needs to be nailed home right now is that this is like nothing before that anyone has ever seen, particularly this third wave we are going through.
‘People need to understand how you are normal human beings doing a brilliant job in a very, very difficult time and I hope this service gives people the outlet that they need. I fear you’re all so busy caring for everyone else that you wont take enough time to care for yourselves and we won’t see the impacts for quite some time.’
The royals spoke to Phil Spencer, well-being inspector at Cleveland Police. He told them about the frustration many officers felt – in particular handing out fines to lockdown flouters.
He warned: ‘Perhaps further down the line... we’re going to have some broken police officers and emergency services staff.
‘Because we’re too busy focusing on protecting the most vulnerable people. But hand on heart, I think our service are the most vulnerable people right now and it is horrible to see. We need so much help.’
The duchess also questioned
‘Take time to care for yourselves’
front-line staff on what more could be done to help their colleagues prioritise their mental health.
She said: ‘Never has there been a more important time to have services like this out there, so I am so glad they are being used as well.’
The call on Wednesday also highlighted how William and Kate’s Royal Foundation was helping to provide financial support through its Covid-19 Response Fund.
The foundation has partnered with NHS England, NHS Improvement and the Department of Health and Social Care to help fund Hospice UK’s Just ‘B’ support line. It helps NHS staff, social care workers, carers and all emergency services personnel.