Stress blamed for thousands of sick days in NHS

It's claimed stress is the main reason behind thousands of sick days in the NHS. New research from Scottish Labour shows an increase in the number of staff not able to work their shift in last three years.

Below are the stats for NHS Highland:

2015/16 - 10,236 days lost

2016/17 - 11,172 days lost

2017/18 - 10,989 days lost

TOTAL DAYS LOST = 32,397

NHS Grampian also accounts for a large proportion of the figures:

2015/16 - 27,244 days lost

2016/17 - 28,975 days lost

2017/18 - 31,287 days lost

TOTAL DAYS LOST = 87,506

The Scotland wide figure for the last year alone also exceeds 400,000.

Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Monica Lennon MSP, said, “Stress-related absences in our NHS have rocketed in recent years, causing the equivalent of more than one million work days to be lost. It’s obvious that people working in the NHS are being pushed to the limit, often delivering high levels of care to the detriment of their own health and wellbeing.

"The SNP has created a staffing crisis in our health service, with more than 3,000 nursing and midwifery posts lying unfilled. A crisis worsened by Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to cut the number of training posts whilst she was Health Secretary.

“Scottish Labour has listened to what people working in our health service say has to change and our workforce commission is focused on making the NHS fit for the future.

"The SNP has created stress and anxiety for patients and staff but it was Labour who created the NHS and we will not accept this complacency from a tired and timid government. Hardworking and dedicated NHS staff deserve better than this.

A spokesman for the Health Secretary said "The welfare of NHS staff's taken very seriously, and every health board is required to have robust policies in place when it comes to the mental health and wellbeing of employees"