THE NHS has released figures that show that more than 1,300 of staff at the Royal Berks have had to take time off for mental health reasons in the last three years.
According to the figures, obtained by Legal Expert, The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has seen 1,369 staff members take at least a day’s absence for mental health reasons since 2021.
The trust employs around 6,500 staff across seven different sites, and serves around 1m people.
The figures showed that in 2021/2022, 478 members staff were absent for mental health reasons, with a slight drop in each subsequent year: down to 545 in 2022/2023, and 437 in 2023/2024.
A poll conducted by YouGov in February, commissioned by NHS Charities, showed that three out of four NHS staff have experienced poor mental health in the past year.
Findings suggested that issues around pay and workload have resulted in a number of mental health challenges for staff.
It found that 42% had experienced exhaustion in the previous year, and 60% were concerned for the mental health of their colleagues.
That study came less than a month after government funding ended for a national network of mental health and wellbeing hubs established in 2020 to support frontline healthcare workers.
NHS Charities Together said of the findings: “Far from being a seasonal issue, ‘winter pressures’ are felt by NHS staff all year round.
“A huge 96 per cent of NHS staff surveyed said they believed that pressure on NHS services is growing.
“Faced with the responsibilities of saving lives, high workload, long and unsociable hours and exposure to traumatic events, it’s no surprise that many NHS staff are struggling with their mental health.
“These findings confirm how vital it is to prioritise mental well-being of the NHS workforce so that they can continue to deliver the best care for their patients.”
Figures from NHS England also showed that a quarter of staff sickness absences in England in October last year were recorded as being due to mental health reasons.
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