Duke of Cambridge says witnessing so much death as an air ambulance pilot left him traumatised

The Duke of Cambridge has revealed that seeing people die whilst working as an air ambulance pilot traumatised him and made him see the world as a “much more, slightly depressed, darker, blacker place.”

He said he “really worries” about those working on the frontline during the Covid pandemic and the effect “such high levels of sadness, trauma and death” will have on their personal lives.

The Duke, who worked for the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 until 2017, recalled his own experiences in a video call with medics, counsellors and first responders.

“Some of it I noticed from my previous spell flying with the air ambulance,” he said.

“When you see so much death and so much bereavement it does impact how you see the world.

“It impacts your own life and your own family life because it is always there.

The Duke, who was joined on the call by the Duchess of Cambridge, was told that witnessing so much death made you view things in a different light and fear everyone around you was going to die.

He added: “That is what really worries me about the front line staff at the moment is that you are so under the cosh at the moment and so pressurised.

“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.”

In 2018, the Duke revealed that one particular incident involving a child "took him over the edge" whilst working for the Air Ambulance.

The Cambridges heard about the mental health support being provided for frontline workers by Hospice UK’s Just B counselling and bereavement support line.

Both stressed that it was vital that frontline personnel reach out for support and that the stigma surrounding seeking help for their mental health must end.

Phil Spencer, Wellbeing Inspector of Cleveland Police, told the couple that the police were “seen as the villains sometimes” for having to dole out fines and enforce the law.

He suggested that officers may not have engaged with counselling services as much as they could have because they did not want to take up valuable time.

“Perhaps further down the line when all this is gone we’re going to have some broken police officers and emergency services staff,” he added.

The Royal Foundation has partnered with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Department of Health and Social Care to help fund the line, which is for NHS staff, social care workers, carers and all emergency services personnel.