mental health plan :: Article CreatorMental Health Sick Days Surge In Public Sector
Public sector workers are three times more likely to take mental health sick days than those in the private sector, analysis by The Telegraph has found.
The number of mental health sick days taken nationwide grew by 6.6 per cent between 2020 and 2022, rising from 13.7 million to 14.6 million.
The latest Labour Force Survey found a 3.6 per cent sickness absence rate among state employees in 2022. Just over one in eight of these days were taken off for mental health conditions such as stress, depression, anxiety and serious psychiatric problems.
Just under 0.5 per cent of all public sector working hours were lost in this way that year – more than three times the 0.15 per cent lost in the private sector.
The post-pandemic trend means public sector workers are now taking millions of sick days off for mental health reasons every year.
The crisis comes as local authorities are crippled by bankruptcies, the NHS struggles to bring down years-long waiting lists and overcrowded jails are forced to free criminals early.
Helen Whately, the Tory shadow work and pensions secretary, called on the Government to "get a grip" on the "growing problem".
She said: "After the pandemic, more people are struggling with their mental health, and the numbers are only going one way.
"The Government must get a grip of this to avoid sky-high benefit bills, lost productivity and wasted lives. Instead they're dragging their feet on vital reforms.
"Labour clearly isn't serious about this after our plan to save £12 billion on the spiralling sickness and benefit budget. Britain deserves better than a Government which can't, or won't, tackle this growing problem."
Analysis by The Telegraph found that NHS England staff took 46.5 per cent more mental health sick leave in 2024 than they did before the pandemic.
The NHS has more than 100,000 unfilled vacancies, while waiting lists remain stubbornly high at 7.5 million.
In September, the Darzi review found that NHS progress was being reversed for the first time in 50 years after routine services ground to a halt and advances in reducing heart disease declined during the pandemic.
At local authorities, mental health sick leave has risen by 6.8 per cent since the pandemic, according to data compiled by the TaxPayers' Alliance.
Between 2021 and 2024, the number of days taken as mental health sick leave by council workers rose from 2.1 million to 2.25 million.
In total, workers at 273 of the United Kingdom's 404 local authorities took more than 6.4 million mental health sick days between 2021 and 2024.
The data show that the leave was taken by 202,227 of Britain's estimated 1.18 million council workers, which equates to 32 days for each person taking sick leave.
It comes after questions over council productivity were raised when a Telegraph audit revealed that employees at 97 per cent of local authorities were allowed to work from home at least one day a week despite services being cut to cover mounting funding shortfalls.
Workers in the prison and probation service took 282,457 days of mental health sick leave between March 2023 and March this year. That represented a 23.7 per cent increase compared with 2022 (228,276), and 148.2 per cent compared with 2018 (113,820).
The justice system is wrestling with chronic prison overcrowding and extensive court backlogs, with more than 16,000 prisoners released early since October last year.
Prison officers have been exposed for having lurid affairs with inmates, and official figures show that probation officers wrongly categorised as low risk almost half the criminals who committed murders, rapes and other violent offences after being released.
Ben Harris-Quinney, the chairman of the Bow Group, a conservative think tank, said the statistics should "cause alarm".
"Figures also show very poor staff retention, with data appearing to show correlation with Covid as an inflection point for decline of both sector workers' health and morale," he said.
"The patterns are too significant to ignore, and evidence widespread of worsening staff mismanagement. On this national scale, the buck has to stop with central government."
Last month Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, was criticised after excluding a crackdown on sickness benefits from the Government's flagship back-to-work plan.
While in opposition, Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer touted getting more people back into work as key to their plans for economic growth.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found last year that the average employee takes 7.8 days of sick leave a year, up from 5.8 days before the pandemic in 2019.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast that, on current trends, overall spending on sickness and disability benefits will top £100 billion a year by 2030.
At the same time, Britain's productivity has grown by just 0.5 per cent a year since 2019, stifling economic growth, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
Joanna Marchong, the investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, accused council workers of "treating sick leave like an extended holiday on the public purse".
"Sick leave rates in the public sector are consistently higher than in the private sector, and now 'mental health' is fast becoming the latest catch-all excuse for shirking responsibility," she said. "Town hall bosses need to make sure that those that take sick leave have verifiable and legitimate reasons to take time off."
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "Councils are independent employers, and they are responsible for managing their own workforces."
A spokesman for NHS England said: "NHS staff are working incredibly hard to meet rising demand and care for more patients than ever before and, added to the significant mental health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, we know this can take a toll on well-being.
"While there is more to do, the NHS is fully committed to ensuring staff get the support they need, and the health service is now offering more flexible working options than ever before, as well as a range of mental health support available for staff, including access to coaching and wellbeing resources."
A spokesman for His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service said: "Our staff show exceptional dedication while working in extremely challenging jobs. Their wellbeing and safety is our top priority which is why we ensure they have access to the support they need."
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Best Mental Health Insurance Of 2024
Private health insurance isn't the only option for getting mental health coverage. Here are some other ways to get mental health treatment with or without insurance.
College Counselors
Campus health centers may offer mental health services with licensed counselors for free for full-time college students. On-campus counseling can help with issues such as anxiety, depression, stress management and substance abuse.
Employee Assistance Programs
Some employers offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that provide counseling and coaching for issues such as substance abuse, financial problems and dysfunctional relationships.
Nonprofit Organizations
You can get 24/7 crisis support and information about local and online treatment programs from nonprofit organizations that cater to mental health issues. Many of these organizations have toll-free hotlines. Here are some resources that are available nationwide:
Medicaid
Medicaid covers various mental health and substance abuse disorder treatments, including individual and group therapy, medical detox, partial hospitalization, residential treatment and medications. Medicaid is jointly funded by state and federal governments and provides health insurance for low-income Americans who meet specified state income requirements.
Therapy Apps
Mobile therapy apps that connect you with a licensed mental health professional virtually or over the phone might be worth considering if you want convenience. Many apps, like Talkspace and BetterHelp, charge a monthly fee rather than a per-session rate.
Related: 10 Best Online Therapy Services: Tried And Tested
Veterans Affairs
There are several ways to take advantage of mental health treatment services if you served in the military. In addition to emergency crisis care, the VA offers inpatient care for veterans with severe or life-threatening mental illness. It also offers outpatient care for veterans with serious mental illness who have difficulties functioning in daily life and regular outpatient care, which may include care provided over the phone, for veterans facing challenges in their lives.
Other noteworthy treatments include rehabilitation treatment and residential (live-in) programs for veterans with mental health problems and other needs (like those related to homelessness, job training and education). Additionally, primary care for many common mental and behavioral problems is provided.
Irving Facility Plans Remain Quiet
The former Lakeshore Hospital was to be purchased by Northeast Medical, the company announced in June. P-J file photo
Plans for a 100-plus bed behavioral and mental health facility at the former Lakeshore Hospital in Irving remain quiet since the announcement was made at the start of last summer. Numerous calls and emails to Relentless Awareness, the public relations firm in Albany handling the project, have gone unanswered in recent months.
Northeast Medical, which goes by NE Med, announced on June 20 it was in contract to purchase the location that has been closed since 2020. "Our goal is to leverage as much of the existing infrastructure as possible, renovating the facility to meet pressing local mental health needs, including addiction treatment and support," said Joe Bonilla, director of external relations for NE Med. "We are currently assembling our executive team and seeking to identify additional uses within the behavioral and mental health categories."
On its website, Northeast Medical says it vows to "deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns by investing in quality healthcare properties. We target properties operated by profitable healthcare systems or physician groups that are at the forefront of delivering needed care in their communities."
Pending approvals, construction was expected to begin shortly thereafter. In the press release issued in the summer, the project was seen as a significant step forward in addressing the mental health care gap in the Buffalo and Chautauqua County region.
"Particularly important is the fact that this new medical center will restore the mental health services that the area lost when Lakeshore closed," state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, said in June. "With our population's mental health and addiction problems skyrocketing, the need for a center like this in our rural community is enormous. Lives will be saved here, and hope restored."
Last month, Hanover officials said they also have heard little since the announcement was made. "We don't have any idea what the hospital is going to be doing. I'm hoping to find that out in the near future," Hanover Town Supervisor Lou Pelletter said in response to comments from the public at a recent meeting.
The period of time dedicated to "due diligence" has been extended, with the town hopeful that more information will be provided by the new year. As of mid-November, the town is of the belief that plans for a mental health and rehabilitation center are still in the works.
"I'm assuming something is going to happen at the hospital, one way or another," Pelletter said.
Staff writer Braden Carmen contributed to this report.
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