Staff absence at Black Country hospitals reaches highest level since April 2020

NHS Digital figures show 7.48 per cent of the available full-time equivalent working days were classified as absent in the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust in December 2021 – the highest since April 2020, shortly after the pandemic reached England.

Royal Wolverhampton Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust also saw staff absence reach its highest level since April 2020 at 6.13 per cent and 6.86 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, staff at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust missed one in 20 working days in December last year.

Figures show 5.4 per cent of the available full-time equivalent working days for staff in the trust were classed as 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.

The Royal College of Nursing 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 British Medical Association, 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 £37 million in 2021-22 in 40 mental health hubs across the country.

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