Prince William has opened up about a recurring "problem" in a powerful new statement.
The Prince of Wales made the comments during a visit to the Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.
He expressed concern that healthcare workers prioritise others' care over their own well-being.
"Everyone in the NHS is there to care for others, so the last person who gets looked after is the individual," the prince said.
Prince William opens up about 'recurring problem' in powerful new statement
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William attended a meeting to hear how health workers coped during the pandemic.
The prince visited the trust's centre in his role as royal patron of NHS Charities Together. The charity provided about £3million needed to renovate the centre.
During his visit, William listened as one senior nurse became emotional when describing not visiting his elderly parents in Italy for two years during the pandemic.
The Royal Berkshire Hospital holds significance as it recorded the first person to die after testing positive for Covid-19, exactly five years ago on 5 March 2020.
Prince William is a proponent of 'enforced breaks' in the workplace'
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Prince William, a former air ambulance helicopter pilot, highlighted the challenges in addressing mental health issues among healthcare professionals.
"I've seen that when I've worked with doctors, nurses, paramedics - they always put it down the line, they don't want to put their workload on to someone else," he said.
The prince added: "Unless there's almost an enforced break in somebody's career - as part of your career development - we're never going to get to the point where we can look after their mental health."
"If we always rely on the individual to put their hand up, we'll go round and round the same problem again."
Prince William speaking to NHS staff during the visit
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Prince William visited the Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre
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The Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre offers a range of facilities for NHS staff.
These include a gym, yoga classes and a garden providing spaces for recreation, reflection and vegetable growing.
NHS Charities Together launched its Covid-19 Urgent Appeal in 2020.
The appeal raised £162m to support NHS staff, patients and communities.
