Responding to the latest NHS England workforce sickness absence data, RCN Interim Director of Nursing, Helen Whyley, said:
“It should be sounding alarm bells in the office of the new health secretary when more than one in five of the days lost to sickness in the NHS in England are due to stress, anxiety, and depression.
“It comes as no surprise with more than 47,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England, record waiting lists, and patients being treated in corridors. Nursing staff are being pushed to the brink.
“When pressures at the start of summer leave so many staff off sick, it raises real concerns about what will happen when the winter crisis begins.
“Ultimately, these pressures can only begin to be addressed with investment in the nursing workforce that has been neglected for too long. We are now entering the final week of our ballot on strike action, which will send a clear message to government to protect nursing and protect patients."
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Notes to editors
NHS England data published today shows that in June 125,123 FTE days were lost to anxiety/stress/depression or other psychiatric illnesses. This is 21.9% of all FTE days lost for all reasons compared to 23.3% in May.
