Mental health absences in NHS rise 25 per cent in three months

FirstCare, a wellbeing and productivity company based in Watford, has released its NHS wellbeing and mental health alert following its daily analysis of workforce wellbeing at NHS trusts in the UK.

The findings show the numbers of NHS staff affected by mental ill health are rising, showing a 25.2 per cent increase from February to May this year, with 13,300 staff affected.

Meanwhile the duration of mental health-related absences (18.59 days) was, on average, more than treble that of Covid-related absences between June 12020 and June 1 2021.

The insights are based on data from 46,606 NHS workers in the UK.

Watford MP Dean Russell, who is the vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health and presented a Bill to Parliament to make mental health first aid compulsory in every workplace, says it has been an "incredibly challenging time" for those on the frontline.

Mr Russell, who works with FirstCare in the area, regrettably adds that as a result of the pandemic, the rise in mental ill health has not come as a surprise.

Watford MP Dean Russell presenting his Bill on mental health first aid in the workplace in Parliament in March. Credit: Parliament TV

Suzanne Marshall, clinical governance officer at FirstCare, said: "The recent surge in mental health related absences in the NHS is a huge worry. From February to May 2021 alone we saw a 25 per cent rise in cases. If we continue on this trajectory we could be facing a serious staff crisis in our NHS.

"It is critical that managers are acting proactively as a swift and considered response to early signs of mental ill health can prevent a much bigger, more complex issue developing."

FirstCare's data over the last 12 months indicates more than 2.5 million working days have been lost in the NHS to mental health-related absence versus 2.1 million working days lost to Covid-related absence.

Ian Caminsky, chief executive officer at FirstCare, added: "It’s important we take care of the most precious commodity in the NHS, the health of frontline workers. To do this, we need to take a proactive and preventative stance.

"Unfortunately, leaders are often looking at their team’s mental wellbeing through a rear-view mirror. This lack of real-time insight into the wellbeing of frontline workers, means early evidence-based interventions to address wellbeing in the workforce cannot be taken."