Support will be delivered by members of the local veterinary community who have been specially trained.

A new, confidential service will provide mental health and wellbeing support to veterinary professionals in Northern Ireland.

Vet Support NI is for any individual in the veterinary profession, including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and support staff. It will be delivered by members of the local veterinary community who have been specially trained to provide a safe, empathetic and non-judgmental service.

It was founded by Vet NI, which is an umbrella organisation representing veterinary organisations in Northern Ireland, and has received funding from the Mind Matters Initiative.

Des Thompson of Vet NI, who is the driving force behind the project, said: “This is a service for any member of the veterinary community who is feeling stressed or suffering from any form of mental ill-health or poor wellbeing, and complements already existing services such as the Vetlife Helpline.

“The motto behind the service is listening, supporting and signposting. For example, our team can help people manage their stress or anxiety, teach calming techniques and coping mechanisms, provide advice on supporting colleagues and refer people on if they need additional or more complex support and advice.

“The advantage of the service is that it is local and service users will be communicating with named team members who are vets and vet nurses from their community. However, all matters will be strictly confidential.”

Visit www.vetsupportni.co.uk for more information