Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust logs nearly 4,000 staff absences for mental health issues since 2021

Torbay and Devon NHS Trust has seen hundreds of staff take at least one day off work due to a mental health issue in the past three years, a new investigation has revealed

Amidst growing pressures on the NHS as well as government funding cuts, hundreds of NHS staff have had to take absences due to mental health problems.

A Torbay and Devon NHS Trust has seen hundreds of staff take at least one day off work due to a mental health issue in the past three years, a new investigation has revealed.

Figures obtained by Legal Expert found that the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has seen 3,839 staff absences due to mental health reasons since 2021, with figures rising in the past year.

Earlier this year, it was announced that government funding ended for a national network of mental health and wellbeing hubs that were established in 2020-21 to support NHS frontline workers during the pandemic. 

These hubs served as a vital lifeline for a workforce in crisis, and closures across the support network have led to the number of staff absences due to mental health reasons rising year on year.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust run Torbay Hospital as well as five community hospitals, stretching from Dawlish to Brixham, providing healthcare to around 500,000 patients each year.

In 2021/22, the number of staff at the trust who took a day off for mental health reasons stood at 1,310.

A year later, this number dropped to 1,248, which is the lowest number of staff absent over the three-year period.

The past year has seen an increase in staff absences due to mental health issues, standing at 1,281.

According to a recent poll conducted by NHS Charities, three out of four NHS staff have experienced poor mental health in the past year, suggesting that issues around pay and workload have resulted in a number of mental challenges.

In a statement about its poll NHS Charities Together, said: “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. 

Legal Expert also obtained the figures on the specific mental health reasons that staff members gave for their absence.

Based on figures gathered from NHS Trusts across the country, the most common mental health issues that NHS staff face are anxiety, depression and stress.

Keeping in line with the general increase in mental health absences across the country, these specific issues have been reported more and more by Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust staff members.

Pressures inside the NHS have become so severe that the equivalent of a week off work was taken by every single one of the health service’s 350k nurses last year due to stress, anxiety and depression, analysis of new NHS England data shows.

Due to ongoing staffing problems, many workers are pushed beyond their mental and physical limits due to long, intensive hours.

A survey conducted by The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) revealed that pay is the biggest source of dissatisfaction among nurses. 88% of respondents indicated that a pay rise would significantly improve their situation. 

Other factors, including more flexible working hours, increased holidays, and shorter shifts, would also make a difference in a nurse's quality of life. 

Enhancing pay, reducing workloads, and providing better mental health support can help create a more sustainable and supportive environment for nurses, ensuring they can continue to deliver high-quality care without compromising their well-being.

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