One in three NHS staff took time off work because of mental health issues in the past year, a health union survey has revealed.
A Unison survey of almost 20,000 healthcare staff found that nurses are among the NHS employees pushed to ‘breaking point’ by stress and workload pressures.
Almost a quarter (23%) of respondents didn’t tell their employer the real reason for their absence from work, the survey found.
This was due to workers ‘not feeling their manager would support’ them as well as concerns about stigma and not wanting colleagues to know.
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The survey, which received 19,356 responses from NHS workers across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, found more than four in five (85%) staff have experienced stress at work over the past 12 months.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of those who had taken time off for stress reported feeling under pressure to come to work despite feeling mentally unwell.
And more than one in four (28%) of those feeling under stress had sought counselling, medication or other forms of support in the past year.
Staff described stress as having a ‘significant impact’ on their mental and physical health. Respondents, including nurses, occupational therapists and paramedics, reported reaching ‘breaking point, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by sustained levels of stress’.
One nurse, based in the West Midlands, said: ‘I have high levels of anxiety and constantly fear making mistakes due to the workload and staffing issues.
‘I’ve experienced hair thinning, poor appetite, dehydration and urinary infections, because I’m unable to pause for a drink. My immune system is poor because I feel burnout, but I fear taking any time off leads to financial issues.’
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Another nurse based in the North West said: ‘I’m on medication, regularly see a psychiatrist and psychologist, and have had to take sick leave.’
A mental health nurse from Yorkshire said: ‘I’m on anxiety medication. I’ve just finished some counselling but may restart in the future.’
Helga Pile, Unison’s head of health, called for the government and employers to ‘do more’ to help staff with their mental health, including fast-track access to treatment and a move away from ‘punitive and counter-productive absence policies’.
She said: ‘Such high levels of stress in the NHS should be ringing alarm bells. Staff who care for others are being pushed to the point that they’re becoming unwell themselves.
‘There should be no stigma around mental health, especially in healthcare. Staff need proper support to cope with the pressures they face.’
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She added that action must be taken to ensure the NHS is safely staffed to meet the growing needs of communities.
The survey, conducted between January and February this year, was released at the union’s annual health conference in Edinburgh.
