Health and wellbeing

General Health and Wellbeing

Would you know what to do if somebody collapsed and stopped breathing?

RevivR is a digital CPR tool which is completely free and allows you to learn CPR in just 15 minutes - all you need is your phone and a cushion.

It is hosted online so you don't need to download anything onto your phone.  

Cardiac arrests can happen to anyone at any time and 8 in 10 cardiac arrests happen in the home, and this training will give you the knowledge and confidence to step in and act if you are to witness one.

You will learn how to recognise a cardiac arrest, what to expect from a 999 call, how to do CPR and how to use a defibrillator. There is also the chance to share it with friends and family.

The 15 minute training can be found at https://revivr.bhf.org.uk or by scanning the QR code below.

RevivR is run by the British Heart Foundation and clicking on the link or QR code will take you to their website.  TfL is not responsible for the content of third party websites, You can check the BHF privacy policy for details on how your personal data may be handled.

Prostrate Cancer

One man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer, which is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. Around 400,000 men are living with or after a prostate cancer diagnosis, and that number keeps rising. Most men with early prostate cancer don't have any symptoms, which is why Prostate Cancer UK is encouraging men most at risk to speak to their GP. This includes men over 50, while black men and those with a family history of the disease should consider speaking to their doctor earlier, from the age of 45. 

Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer can also contact Prostate Cancer UK on 0800 074 8383 or online at www.prostatecanceruk.org.

NHS Resources

NHS How Are You? Quiz - Get a free personalized health score when you complete this 10 minute NHS quiz. The results can help you determine what you need to do to live a healthier lifestyle.

Seated stretches - sitting down for extended periods can cause aches and pains. Try these stretches to help improve your posture.

If you suffer with back pain, the NHS has a list of useful tips and resources specifically for back pain.

Try to remember to take regular breaks, avoid sitting exclusively for long periods if you can help it and see the NHS advice "why we should sit less".

The NHS Every Mind Matters campaign has a series of resources to help with sleeping, sleep issues and insomnia and the importance of a good night's sleep.

NHS Quit Smoking - improve your health with quitting smoking support from the NHS.

NHS Healthy Weight resources - check your BMI and get tips and advice to help maintain a healthy weight.

Useful Presentations 

In December 2019 and April 2021 we hosted Forums that explored health, wellbeing safety and security topics.

The Forums were attended by a range of stakeholders and was also open to licensees. We provided a range of information to licensees following the forum, that has subsequently been supplemented on this and other web pages. The health and wellbeing presentations from the Forums can be found here:

• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/risks-of-inactivity.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/staying-active-at-work-tfl-occupational-health.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/ways-to-wellbeing-break-out-exercise-notes.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/alzheimers-society-presentation.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/uk-active-presentation.pdf

Mental health

All of us face stress and situational/psychological stress at times. There is a difference between a mental illness and mental health issue as detailed below.

Mental illness (for example, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, recurrent depression) is a chronic condition and more severe than a mental health issue.

Although mental illness can respond very well to treatment, the condition and its symptoms can flare up throughout life.

Mental health issues (for example, reactive depression, anxiety, phobias) are transient and generally overcome via internal coping mechanisms as well as external help such as short-term medication, social support and counselling.

It is important to be self-aware and spot the early warning signs that you are feeling mentally unwell.

Everyone's experience with mental health is different, so symptoms can vary from person to person. However, there are some common signs to look out for regarding an individual's wellbeing:

• Becoming very withdrawn
• Persistently sad or tearful
• More irritated or angry
• Can't sleep or sleeping a lot more
• Feeling of exhaustion
• Loss of appetite
• A sense of hopelessness
• Little interest or pleasure in doing things
• Aches, pains or other physical problems
• Distraction, confusion, lapses in memory

The most common mental health issues are anxiety and depression. You can read more about the signs and symptoms here:

• Depression
• Anxiety

Getting help

The first step, if you are not feeling great, is to seek help and support at the earliest opportunity with your GP. This can provide access to counselling support and may also involve a physical check to ensure there is not an underlying medical issue for your symptoms for example, poor sleep.

ALL mental health problems can be helped by:

• Support
• Talking therapies
• Medications

The prognosis for the vast majority of conditions is very positive with the right help.

You can self-refer yourself to the NHS to access free psychological services via the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies scheme. Using your location, you can search for your local service before completing the self-referral form.

We've compiled a list of charities and public services that can help you and give you guidance or support when you need it most. This list isn't exhaustive and your GP or the NHS can also advise you of further resources that are available.

• Mind

Website: www.mind.org.uk

Email: info@mind.org.uk

Phone: 0300 123 3393. Open 09:00-17:00, Monday to Friday except bank holidays (calls charged at local rate).

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

Website: www.thecalmzone.net/help/get-help

Phone: 0800 58 58 58, open 365 days a year, 5pm - midnight.

Provides information and services, bringing people together so they reject living miserably, get help when they need it, and don't die by suicide.

• Samaritans

Website: www.samaritans.org

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Phone: 116 123, free call open 24/7, 365 days a year.

Provides help and support for those having a difficult time or who are worried about someone else. 

• SANE

Website: www.sane.org.uk

Email: info@sane.org.uk

Phone: 0300 304 7000. Open every day from 16:00-22:00.

Provides a range of services to help improve the quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness.

Suicide awareness training for taxi and private hire drivers

This course has been developed by Zero Suicide Alliance in collaboration with licensed taxi drivers and 10 local authorities.

It shares information about suicide and coaches you through a driver and passenger related scenario to help you recognise signs of suicidal behaviour and have a conversation with someone you may be worried about. You will also get a certificate to download once you have completed the course.

Website: www.zerosuicidealliance.com/suicide-awareness-training-taxi-driver-edition

Facts:

• More than 6,000 people die by suicide in the UK every year (Office for National Statistics)
• 1 in 5 of us will have suicidal thoughts (NatCen Social Research and the University of Leicester, 2016)
• Around three quarters of UK suicides are male (Office for National Statistics, 2022)

BBC Headroom

The BBC has created a comprehensive mental health toolkit called BBC Headroom which provides a host of online tools and resources to help with a range of mental health issues. The site features relaxing music and mindful videos, practical tips and advice, inspiring stories and sleeping aids and advice.

Website: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/YfRzhXDKSZQxFVn30TlXBj/your-mental-health-toolkit 

Health, Wellbeing, Safety and Security Forums

In December 2019 and April 2021 we hosted Forums exploring health, wellbeing, safety and security topics. The Forums were attended by a range of stakeholders and was also open to licensees.

The presentations from the Forums on mental health can be found here:

• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/mental-health-support-and-tools-samaritans.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/the-importance-of-good-mental-health-tfl-occupational-health.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/mental-health-support-and-tools-samaritans.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/calm-presentation.pdf
• https://content.tfl.gov.uk/stress-management-society-presentation.pdf

Driver Safety

As a taxi or private hire driver, you are likely to be working alone, sometimes late at night.

It is never acceptable to be subjected to angry or violent behaviour when at work. If a passenger in your vehicle becomes angry or violent you have a right to say that you will not accept that behaviour or if that fails, and it is safe to do so, to ask them to leave, or refuse to undertake the booking.

Further information can be found in our Driver Handbook, Safety Advice for Drivers and this presentation from the Metropolitan Police Taxi and Private Hire Policing Team. 

Follow our advice to help you stay safe. 

OnRoute

Our quarterly 'OnRoute' magazine regularly features articles on driver wellbeing: 

• Issue 30- July 2023 - How to reduce your stress levels before the problem gets worse. 
• Issue 29 - April 2023 - How to reduce the impacts on your body if sitting behind a steering wheel for most of the day.  
• Issue 28 - December 2022 - How to eat yourself healthy. 
• Issue 24 - October 2021 - Mental Health - how to cope with depression and anxiety. 
• Issue 23- spring/summer 2020 - Information about our Health and Wellbeing Forum - including wellbeing advice for licensees. 
• Issue 17 - July/August 2018 - An article about how the quieter driving environment of an electric vehicle can have benefits for drivers. 
• Issue 15 - March/April 2018 - Mental health - how to cope with stress and boost mental wellbeing.
• Issue 11 - July/August 2017 - Advice on how to reduce the risk of back pain associated with long hours behind the wheel. 
• Issue 9 - March/April 2017 - Advice on sleep and driving fatigue. 
• Issue 8 - January/February 2017 - Advice for Knowledge students on how to cope with stress and anxiety related to their studies.
• Issue 7 - November/December 2016 - An article about a driver's journey to better health.
• Issue 6 - September/October 2016 - Advice on how to stay healthy behind the wheel.

This page will be updated with future articles relevant to this topic. If you have any suggestions for articles on this topic, or any other, you can get in touch with the editor at OnRoute@tfl.gov.uk.

Fatigue

There is no single agreed definition of fatigue. Simply put, fatigue is the feeling of being tired.

Causes of fatigue can be physical or psychological and the signs and symptoms are varied - yawning, rubbing eyes, prolonged staring or rapid blinking can all signal the onset of fatigue. Driving when tired impairs judgement and reaction time causing drivers to react slowly, brake late and is a major factor in a lot of collisions.

Fatigue also affects coordination, resulting in a variance in speed - slowing down and speeding up. Tired drivers also have what is known as micro-sleeps, which last from a fraction of a second to several seconds.

Professional drivers, including taxi and private hire drivers, are particularly at risk as they typically spend longer behind the wheel. Long working hours, irregular shift patterns, busy schedules and driving at night can contribute to the risk of a collision or incident.

Good practice tips

• Avoid starting driving/taking a fare/customer if you already feel tired
• Have adequate sleep before starting work
• Avoid heavy meals before starting driving
• Plan a 15-minute break for every two hours of driving
• If you feel yourself starting to get tired, stop and take a break
• Make occasional use of caffeine. The effects of these drinks are short lived and when they wear off you may feel more fatigued
• Take a short nap of around 15-20 minutes when necessary

The following resources will help you avoid fatigue and stay safe.

Useful resources:

• www.vandrivertoolkit.co.uk/info-card/driver-fatigue
• www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/drivers/driver-health
• www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/driver-fatigue

Useful organisations and charities

There are a number of charities and organisations that offer a wide range of support services and guidance. We've compiled a list of charities and public services that can help you and give you guidance or support when you need it most.

Action Fraud

If you've been the victim of a scam, fraud or online crime (cybercrime) you can report it to Action Fraud. 

Action Fraud is the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. It collects reports about fraud on behalf of the police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For fraud in Scotland please report it directly to Police Scotland.

Website: www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/action-fraud

Phone: 0300 123 2040 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm).

Alcohol Change UK

Provide a support resource for those struggling with alcohol dependence and their family and friends.

Email: contact@alcoholchange.org.uk 

Website: alcoholchange.org.uk/help-and-support/get-help-now

Phone: 0300 123 110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm weekends 11am to 4pm)

Age UK

Age UK London is a regional charity that helps London to love later life by campaigning for older Londoners, working on their behalf, and championing their cause. Working London borough Age UKs, over three hundred older people's organisations across the capital, and the national organisation, Age UK.

Website: www.ageuk.org.uk

Phone: 0800 678 1602

Alzheimer's Society

Provides advice and practical guidance for people living with dementia. 

Website:  www.alzheimers.org.uk

Phone: 0330 150 3456. Open Monday to Wednesday: 9am - 8pm, Thursday and Friday 9am - 5pm, Saturday and Sunday: 10am - 4pm.

At a Loss

AtaLoss.org provides the UK's award winning bereavement signposting and information website.

Email: office@ataloss.org

Website: www.ataloss.org

BBC Headroom

The BBC has created a comprehensive mental health toolkit called BBC Headroom which provides a host of online tools and resources to help with a range of mental health issues. The site features relaxing music and mindful videos, practical tips and advice, inspiring stories and sleeping aids and advice.

Website: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/YfRzhXDKSZQxFVn30TlXBj/your-mental-health-toolkit

British Nutrition Foundation

Provides free information on nutrition, diet and lifestyle. 

Website: www.nutrition.org.uk

Phone: 020 7557 7930

British Wheel of YOGA

A membership organisation committed to promoting a greater understanding of yoga and its safe practice through experience, education, study and training.

Email: office@bwy.org.uk

Website: www.bwy.org.uk

Phone: 01529 306 851

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

Provides information and services, bringing people together so they reject living miserably, get help when they need it, and don't die by suicide.

Website: www.thecalmzone.net/get-support

Phone: 0800 58 58 58, open 365 days a year, 5pm - midnight

Carers UK

Provide carers with expert advice, information and support.

Email: advice@carersuk.org

Website: www.carersuk.org

Phone: 0808 808 7777

Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice has a network of charities offering confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. The Advice line is open 09:00-17:00, Monday to Friday.
The phone line is usually busiest at the beginning and then end of the day.

Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Phone: 03444 111 444

Cruse Bereavement Care

Provides telephone, face-to-face and group support to those experiencing bereavement.

Website: www.cruse.org.uk

Phone: 0808 808 1677

Diabetes UK

Provides information, advice and peer support, so people with diabetes can manage their condition effectively. Services are also available to family members, friends and carers.

Email: helpline@diabetes.org.uk 

Website: www.diabetes.org.uk

Phone: 0345 123 2399 (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm)

London Victim and Witness Service

If you've been affected by crime in London and you need confidential support or information, call this Helpline for free. If English isn't your first language let them know as they have an interpretation service that can help.

Website: londonvws.org.uk

Phone: 0808 168 9291

Mind

Provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

Email: info@mind.org.uk

Website: www.mind.org.uk

Phone: 0300 123 3393. (09:00-18:00, Monday to Friday except bank holidays)  

Money Advice Trust - Business Debtline

The Money Advice Trust is a national charity helping people across the UK to tackle their debts and manage their money with confidence.

Offering free, independent and confidential advice on personal debt and Business Debtline, the UK's only free dedicated debt advice service for people who are self-employed and other small business owners.

Websites:

• moneyadvicetrust.org
• moneyadvicetrust.org
• www.businessdebtline.org
• www.mymoneysteps.org
• www.nationaldebtline.org
• www.wiseradviser.org

National Gambling Helpline

Provides confidential information, advice and support 24/7 for anyone affected by gambling harms in England, Scotland and Wales.

Website: www.gamcare.org.uk

Phone: 0808 8020 133

National Trading Standards

Frauds and scams are increasingly sophisticated and indiscriminately target everyone, at any time and through a hugely varied number of ways. To keep yourself informed visit the Trading Standards website.

Website: www.nationaltradingstandards.uk

Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide

Provides 24/7 confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person.

Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org

Website: papyrus-uk.org

Phone: 0800 068 4141

Prostate Cancer UK

Provides help, information and support to men living with or after a prostate cancer diagnosis.

Website: prostatecanceruk.org 

Phone: 0800 074 8383

Relate

Provides free relationship counselling for individuals and couples, family counselling, counselling for children and young people.

Website: www.relate.org.uk

Phone: 0300 003 2324 .

RoadPeace

Road Peace help bereaved families cope with the aftermath of a road crash and build resilience through peer support, local group networks, befriending services and trauma support programmes.

Email: helpline@roadpeace.org

Website: www.roadpeace.org

Phone: 0800 160 1069 (Open Monday to Friday 10:00-16:00. Calls are free. 

RoSPA driver safety

Information on driving fatigue and the importance of not driving when tired.

Website: www.rospa.com/policy/road-safety/advice/drivers/driver-health

Samaritans

Provides 24/7 help and support for those having a difficult time or are worried about someone else. 

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Website: www.samaritans.org

Phone 116 123

SANE

Provides a range of services to help improve the quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness.

Email: info@sane.org.uk

Website: www.sane.org.uk

Phone: 0300 304 7000. Open every day from 16:00-22:00.

Stop Hate UK

Stop Hate UK is one of the leading national organisations working to challenge all forms of Hate Crime and discrimination, based on any aspect of an individual's identity.

Email: info@stophateuk.org

Website: www.stophateuk.org

Phone:  0113 293 5100

Stress Management Society (SMS)

Helps individuals and companies recognise and reduce stress. 

Email: info@stress.org.uk

Website: www.stress.org.uk

Phone: 0203 142 8650

Support in the aftermath of a road traffic incident

If you have been involved in, or injured by a serious incident involving TfL services, you can contact the Sarah Hope Line (Incident Support Service).

Incident Support Service

Email: SHL@tfl.gov.uk

Website: tfl.gov.uk/campaign/incident-support-service

Phone: 0343 222 5678, Monday-Friday 08:00-18:00 (check TfL call charges). A voicemail service operates outside of these times.

UK Active

Exists to improve the health of the nation by getting more people, more active, more often. Provides services and facilitates partnerships for a broad range of organisations.

Email: info@ukactive.org.uk

Website: www.ukactive.com

Phone: 020 8158 9700

Zero Suicide Alliance

The Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) aims to empower, educate and equip individuals and organisations to support suicide awareness and prevention. The ZSA offers practical, free online training, tools and resources that enable people to take action that can help prevent suicide.

Find out more about its work: zerosuicidealliance.com