Wigan hospital trust staff miss more than one in 20 working days as absence rates soar

The Royal College of Nursing said overstretched workers are at breaking point, with many experienced nurses leaving the profession, while the British Medical Association has called on the Government to "focus on the protection and wellbeing" of the NHS workforce.

NHS Digital figures show 7.69 per cent of the available full-time equivalent working days for staff in the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) were classed as absent.

Further figures, also from NHS Digital, show that 8.66 per cent of nurses and health visitors, 3.1 per cent of doctors and 6.97 per cent of midwives were absent.

Across England, NHS staff absences soared to 6.17 per cent, the second-highest mark since records began in 2009 and only marginally behind April 2020 (6.2 per cent).

Anxiety, stress, depression and other mental health reasons were the primary factor, accounting for 23.7 per cent of all staff absences.

They were followed by coughs and colds at 12.7 per cent and infectious diseases at 9.5 per cent.

At WWL, 2,771.8 full-time equivalent days were lost due to Covid-19.

WWL chief people office Alison Balson said: “Like most NHS Trusts, WWL experienced higher levels of staff absences in December 2021; a time when COVID-19 had high prevalence within our community.

“WWL is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our staff and has a track record of doing so with significant services in place to support all staff members. Work is done with staff to promote positive mental wellbeing and prevent poor health with initiatives such as a bespoke mindfulness, personal resilience workshops and “psychological first aid”.

“During the pandemic, additional staff support packages were put in place for staff to access. This included ‘SOS rooms’ for staff experiencing psychological and emotional distress, a phone line for rapid access to support, mindfulness and wellbeing groups. In addition, a group trauma 24/7 debrief service, already in place at WWL, was adapted and improved further to help staff following stressful events.

“WWL has recently made a permanent commitment to fund this service for the workforce, and additional mental health professionals have been recruited. In line with the NHS People Promise, the organisation continues to make a visible and tangible long-term commitment to staff wellbeing, for the effective working of the trust.

“We are really proud of our staff and thank them for everything they do for our patients and each other.”

RCN England Director Patricia Marquis said nursing staff have been pushed to breaking point and deserve better treatment.

"These services cannot afford to lose loyal, hard-working professionals to avoidable illnesses on top of tens of thousands of nursing vacancies," said Ms Marquis.

She urged employers to work with nursing staff so they can better care for patients and prevent many from missing work or even leaving the profession entirely.

Dr David Wrigley, council deputy chair at the BMA, said that the NHS faces an unprecedented staffing crisis without government action.

The BMA called for greater Covid-19 testing, more PPE provision and more targeted public health measures across the country during the final quarter of last year, when staff absences reached their highest point since records began.

"We need a focus on the protection and wellbeing of NHS workers, with a long-term national workforce strategy to grow the workforce and retain the experienced staff we have," added Dr Wrigley.

The Department for Health and Social Care said it is supporting the health and wellbeing of NHS staff by providing targeted psychological support and treatment, occupational health sessions, and investment in "wellbeing conversations".

"We have record numbers of staff working in the NHS, including over 4,200 more doctors and over 12,100 more nurses compared to January 2022," a spokesperson said.

The DHSC established the People Recovery Task Force as part of the Elective Recovery programme and invested £37m in 2021-22 in 40 mental health hubs across the country.

The NHS will also develop a long-term workforce strategy, the spokesperson added.