Members' Business: Trauma Recovery and Support for First Responders

That the Parliament notes that every day in Scotland, including in Edinburgh, people offer assistance to perfect strangers in moments of crisis and trauma; recognises that first responders, both in the emergency services and members of the public, are often called upon to intervene to offer assistance during incidents where they may witness scenes of trauma and death; understands that these experiences may stay with them and may cause psychological harm for many years; notes recent staff surveys that suggest low morale among emergency workers relating to unresolved trauma and stress; further notes what it sees as continuing problems around waiting times for mental health services throughout the NHS; believes that people die in the arms of strangers every week in Scotland, but that consideration is not often given to what happens to that stranger after the event, and notes calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward a national first responder trauma recovery strategy, which will ensure that anyone caught up in, or witness to, a traumatic event is given the support that they need in the immediate aftermath of the event.