The last few weeks have seen seismic advances in the field of Peer Support. With what you would like to think was a deliciously ironic piece of timing, the 1st of April saw the release of the much-anticipated ARC report from the US on barriers to declaring healthcare issues. This produced a stunning set of 22 recommendations that should significantly move the dial if they are implemented. In mid-April the Royal Aeronautical Society in London published its paper discussing the legal requirements on an operator to provide a psychological safe workplace under ISO 45003. At the end of the month EASA held a conference to present and discuss the findings of its impressive 2 year MESAFE project into pilot mental health and the role AMEs play in the interface with pilots and the fly/no fly decision.
The icing on the cake was the huge Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) conference in Chicago which finished last week. Virtually all the major medical Regulators in the world were there, and the highlight was undoubtably hearing that the revolutionary MESH (Medical Examiner Safe Haven) programme in Australia and New Zealand will launch in the next few months. This is designed to keep the Regulator at an arm’s length and keep pilots flying wherever possible.
It is becoming clear that Peer Support Programmes alone are not enough to create an environment where safety-critical personnel in aviation feel comfortable seeking the help they need without being punished in terms of loss of earnings or even livelihood. That elusive concept of ‘trust’ will only happen if all parties step up. Pilots, Flight Attendants, Air Traffic Controllers and Aircraft Engineers need to be aware of help mechanisms available and (critically) be prepared to self-refer into them - if they exist in their airline. Peer Support Programmes need to deliver first-class service through excellent Peer selection and training. AMEs need to have the skills to provide effective initial point of care treatment of mental health issues and accurate referral onwards. Aviation-savvy Mental Health Specialists need to exist in sufficient numbers to provide readily available specialist care. Regulators need to look at the recertification requirements for mental health diagnoses in order to reduce the barriers to self-referral. Finally, operators need to create working environments that neither create nor worsen mental health issues.
It’s a heady aspiration, but the past few weeks have shown that things are definitely moving in the right direction.
These are indeed exciting times for Peer Support and Aviation Safety, and we can't wait to keep pushing the boundaries at the upcoming IPAAC conference in Osaka 🌟✈️
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