‘I’m waking up happy to go to work again’: Officer tributes Fed after ‘brilliant’ holiday and advice

2 March 2026

For the first time in almost 16 years of policing, previously packed with success, passion and fulfilment, Inspector Barry was at a loss with life in the Force.

A chain of events had left him in the middle of an identity crisis, where he no longer ‘felt like a police officer’ and was going into each shift with a sense of imposter syndrome.

Barry was trying to re-establish his drive at work following a near six-month lay-off, caused by a cardiac arrest he had suffered in an off-duty incident. He had the Federation by his side, but this same level of support was lacking internally to get him back to his best – especially mentally.

Work-related stress

“I was told the heart attack itself was likely caused by work-related stress, but I didn’t know I’d end up feeling even worse at work once I’d gone back. Having such a big scare to my health was bad enough, but what followed afterwards was just as difficult for me,” Barry said.

“Over the course of my time off, I hadn’t really heard much from anyone in the Force, which left me feeling isolated already. But then, when I came back, I found out there had been no referrals made to occupational health.

“I couldn’t help but feel a bit overlooked and like I’d been lost in the system, to be honest. I tried to carry on and tell myself it was always going to be hard coming back to work after such a big health care and a lot of time off, but I was struggling.

“In a professional sense, I just felt like I had lost my previous self.”

Branch member Barry Eldridge

Despite reuniting with individual colleagues, Barry says the only real connection he felt on an organisational level during this period was with the Federation, after branch representative James Stopford reached out to him upon noticing his return to Force duties.

Barry was given advice on how he could improve his wellbeing through the Federation’s Group Insurance Scheme (GIS), which was a welcome morale boost for the 40-year-old.

But what he still needed was something beyond practical guidance to reinvigorate him in the job truly.

“James was just brilliant – he completely validated my initial concerns, and to be able to talk to someone who gets the world of policing but won’t come with that internal judgement was exactly what I needed," Barry continued.

Concerns

“Given how my mind was, there were things which I was never going to think of myself, until he made me aware of them and helped me with them.

“Eventually, it was suggested that I should take advantage of one of the Fed’s holiday homes for some free respite, so that’s what I did.”

Along with his wife and two children, Barry headed to Hopton Holiday Village along the idyllic Norfolk coast.

The family enjoyed the perfect getaway as Barry went into full decompression mode – even keeping his phone disconnected from any WiFi during his stay.

Holiday park

“It did me the world of good,” Barry continued. “What made it even more special was that it was the same holiday park both my wife and I went to as kids, before we knew each other.

“It was so nice to be able to do the basic, simple stuff, especially since it was the same sort of stuff I would’ve done there as a kid.”

Crucially, Barry’s holiday then proved to be a catalyst for momentum, as he began to engage with the Force and to exercise his rights as an employee.

An occupational health referral finally came, where he was fast-tracked for therapy to address unresolved frontline trauma, which he believes was a major contributor to his cardiac arrest.

Federation

Fast forward to now, and the inspector says he is ‘waking up happy to go to work again’.

“I’m in a much better space now, and I’ve definitely got that drive back. Even just to be thought of in such a big organisation can be enough, and I wasn’t getting that originally.

“I am massively grateful to the Federation – not just James, but everyone – for taking so much weight off me when I felt so alone. Having that time away with the family really got things moving in a positive direction, but even the initial advice I got really kick-started this journey.

“Without them, I really don’t think I would be where I am now.”

Find out more about the Group Insurance Scheme and how you can benefit as a member.