24.03.15
Hospital staff absence for mental health conditions doubles since 2010
Staff absence due to mental health conditions at hospital trusts across England has doubled since 2010, according to new data.
Figures obtained by the BBC revealed 41,112 staff took time off sick with anxiety, stress and depression in 2014 – up from 20,207 in 2010.
In February NHE reported that 39% of NHS staff reported having had time off due to work related stress in 2014. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said at the time that the extra hours staff had to work to meet the rising demand was a big contributing factor.
The NHS England 2014 staff survey showed that 71% worked extra hours over the previous 12 months.
A spokesman for the NHS told the BBC that the NHS needs to become better at supporting staff as it leads to better patient care.
Commenting on the new figures, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said: “NHS staff are now more comfortable than they were at reporting stress and mental health problems. The culture in the NHS has improved demonstrably and there is more specialist support. But we cannot be complacent as progress is uneven and the NHS must keep innovating to endure ever-growing demand on its services.
“NHS staff recently told their biggest survey that their managers are doing more to support their health and wellbeing. There are over 50% more programmes supporting staff health and wellbeing now compared to 2010. The rate of sickness absence has fallen in the NHS since 2009, when the current surveys of absence began.
“In December the arms-length bodies and NHS leaders came together to pledge better staff experience and welcomed the focus on it in the NHS Five Year Forward View.
“Frontline work in the NHS is rewarding but it can be emotionally and physically challenging, so it’s vital those staff have the right support.”
Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the RCN, said that the figures are unacceptable but not surprising to many people who work in the NHS.
“Nursing is one of the greatest and most rewarding professions there is, yet too often staff are working under too much pressure. Cuts to services at a time when demand for the health service is increasing to unprecedented levels mean staff cannot always deliver the care they want to, and are under so much stress it is making them unwell. This is totally wrong.
“This should be a priority for the NHS, and it is an issue which affects patients as well as staff. Healthier, happier staff are better able to provide the best possible care to patients, and it is obviously beneficial for the health service if fewer staff are forced to take time off work.
“Health care staff want to care for patients, and all they ask is that they have the support to do this. Until then we will continue to have the perverse situation where our health service is making its own staff unwell.”
Emma Mamo, from mental health charity Mind, said there had been funding cuts of about 8% to NHS services with 3,000 nursing posts lost.
“These figures could suggest sickness absence relating to mental health problems is on the rise among hospital staff,” she said.
“The impact of these cuts, through increased workloads and changes to services, is bound to have an impact on staff morale and wellbeing.
“It's vital that hospitals put in place measures to help promote good mental health at work for all staff.”
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