NHS staff sickness in England hits record high

Figures released for 2022 show an absence rate (proportion of days lost) of 5.6 per cent, meaning the NHS lost the equivalent of nearly 75,000 staff members to illness during the year, higher than during the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, and a 29 per cent increase on the 2019 rate.

According to the Nuffield Trust analysis of official NHS data, the most common causes of sickness were mental health problems, responsible for approaching a quarter of all absences.

Significant increases were also seen in coughs, colds, respiratory problems and infections, which are likely to be linked to the continued circulation of Covid as well as the return of flu last year.

Nuffield warned the NHS was stuck in a “seemingly unsustainable cycle” of increased work and burnout, which was contributing to staff leaving the health service.

Dr Billy Palmer, senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust, said “The health service is grappling with a difficult new normal when it comes to staff sickness leave.

“There has been a lot of focus on recruitment, but we need more endeavour to improve the working conditions of existing staff and protect them from illness.

“The workforce plan needs to have concrete support to enable employers to improve NHS staff experience if the service is to break this cycle of staff absences, sickness and leaving rates.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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