Coronavirus peak prompts record high NHS sickness rate

New data from NHS Digital has revealed that more than one in 20 NHS staff days were lost to sickness in England in April.

The April figure of 6.2 per cent, up from 5.4 per cent the month before, is the highest level recorded in data that goes back to April 2009.

In terms of staff numbers, the data shows that approximately 2.3 million full-time equivalent (FTE) days of work were lost out of a total of nearly 36.6 million in April 2020. This compares with 1.4 million FTE days lost out of nearly 35 million in the same month last year.

Unsurprisingly, the worst-hit was London, where the sickness rate increased to 7.2 per cent. This number contrast with a rate of four per cent in January, when the capital had the lowest sickness rate of any English region.

South-west England reported the lowest rate of 4.5 per cent, making it the only region in England not to report their highest sickness rate since April 2009. Ambulance trusts recorded the highest rates of sickness absence, at 7.3 per cent.

According to NHS Employers, which represents hospitals and other providers of care, stress accounted for a third of sickness absence in the NHS, costing the service over £300 million per year.

Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said: “NHS frontline staff, whether they work in hospitals, ambulance, mental health, or community services, have all played an incredibly valuable role during this crisis. The percentage of NHS staff who were absent from work in April was 6.2 per cent nationally. However there was some variation by region and between trusts. This correlates with those areas facing the biggest peaks of the pandemic, such as in London.

“These figures demonstrate just how committed staff have been to taking care of people as well as trusts’ commitment to creating safe environments for their staff and patients in difficult circumstances.

“Looking ahead, we must not underestimate the lasting impact working during Covid-19 will have on NHS staff. According to a survey we conducted in June, 93 per cent of NHS trust leaders are concerned about staff wellbeing, stress and burnout following the pandemic. Trusts are doing all they can to support staff, including setting up a range of services such as relaxation and well-being hubs and safe spaces for staff to spend some time reflecting and accessing emotional support if they need it. Additional support for staff will be a long term requirement, as evidence suggests that staff are more likely to present much later, around two and a half to seven years after experiencing trauma. We will need to continue to track the mental health and well-being of the workforce to get a good understanding of the impact Covid-19 has had for years to come.”