NHS - 8 Million mental health sick days in 5 years
Discussion
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/17/br...
A compounding problem surely. I wouldn't like to be a manager trying to manage shifts that's for sure.
A compounding problem surely. I wouldn't like to be a manager trying to manage shifts that's for sure.
272BHP said:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/17/br...
A compounding problem surely. I wouldn't like to be a manager trying to manage shifts that's for sure.
Wife occasionally does bed management, the problem is underfunding and it is a compounding problem as long as people keep thinking that underfunding the NHS will make private practices anything other than leaches living off the more profitable bits. I've had to use private health care many times among my family recently. Guess what, if it gets to theatre it'll be an NHS owned theatre. The reason private health care is relatively cheap in the UK is due to the NHS and it's unfortunate that many don't realise that.A compounding problem surely. I wouldn't like to be a manager trying to manage shifts that's for sure.
Rufus Stone said:
Pre covid the NHS apparently had an average of 5% of staff off sick. That seems very high to me.
Looks like they didn't hit 5% until Covid - https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n471Just about double the national average.
Rufus Stone said:
Pre covid the NHS apparently had an average of 5% of staff off sick. That seems very high to me.
It appears to be about twice the average, but hardly a surprise that it is higher than average giving the amount of manual work, shift work, being around people with illnesses and the lower tolerance for working with minor sickness. The important question is what is it like compared to equivalent jobs.steveo3002 said:
in other words easiest place to have a few weeks off with depression
Nope, that would be the civil service.I really don't like people that don't understand how hard health care workers work. That the way it's ran is inefficient is a separate conversation. That some geniuses think they could do better is hilarious. Improvements could be made, there's no doubt, but ideological w
kers thinking that market economics is the solution have demonstrably failed so what's the fix? (and lol at criticising without offering solutions).The problem is full sick pay from day one. My gf works in the NHS, a new guy started and as soon as he found out sick pay was paid from day one he took two days off sick. Also people often say they have a cough etc just to get sent home on full pay if they need days off to look after kids or can't be arsed. They also don't loose any overtime benefits if they are off sick when they are meant to be on a night shift etc. It's completely bonkers.
richelli said:
The problem is full sick pay from day one. My gf works in the NHS, a new guy started and as soon as he found out sick pay was paid from day one he took two days off sick. Also people often say they have a cough etc just to get sent home on full pay if they need days off to look after kids or can't be arsed. They also don't loose any overtime benefits if they are off sick when they are meant to be on a night shift etc. It's completely bonkers.
Abusers of the lenient sick pay rules are rife, as they are in many other jobs. But they aren’t all at it and in my experience those that milk that system are known and not liked by their colleagues who can’t rely on them, often they won’t give a st but they’d be wrong to think it’s not noticed. But the sick benefits are a good thing and I’d not support removing them just because a few abuse the system. That’s the wrong answer but I know why some would suggest it.
valiant said:
Over 1.3 million staff over 5 years it’s not that bad surely?
Thought it would be a lot worse considering what they’ve had to endure over the last two years.
Edited: didn't see the "mental" in the title.Thought it would be a lot worse considering what they’ve had to endure over the last two years.
I thought it was just sick days in general. Which 8 million over 5 years for 1.3million staff seems pretty good?! About 1-2 days a year per employee average.
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 18th April 18:53
roger.mellie said:
richelli said:
The problem is full sick pay from day one. My gf works in the NHS, a new guy started and as soon as he found out sick pay was paid from day one he took two days off sick. Also people often say they have a cough etc just to get sent home on full pay if they need days off to look after kids or can't be arsed. They also don't loose any overtime benefits if they are off sick when they are meant to be on a night shift etc. It's completely bonkers.
Abusers of the lenient sick pay rules are rife, as they are in many other jobs. But they aren’t all at it and in my experience those that milk that system are known and not liked by their colleagues who can’t rely on them, often they won’t give a st but they’d be wrong to think it’s not noticed. But the sick benefits are a good thing and I’d not support removing them just because a few abuse the system. That’s the wrong answer but I know why some would suggest it.
t but there's zero sanction for it.I'd suggest that some change would be a good thing.
NHs staff get 6 months full pay 6 month half.
During that time they have to attend welfare meetings but unless they get caught out in a lie, they are not dealt with. Even when they do suspension and investigations takes weeks anyway on full pay.
Mental health is the new back ache and saying you are stressed etc is a good way if you want time off. everyone knows someone in the NHS who has abused the system but until they slash that benefit it will continue
During that time they have to attend welfare meetings but unless they get caught out in a lie, they are not dealt with. Even when they do suspension and investigations takes weeks anyway on full pay.
Mental health is the new back ache and saying you are stressed etc is a good way if you want time off. everyone knows someone in the NHS who has abused the system but until they slash that benefit it will continue
valiant said:
Over 1.3 million staff over 5 years it’s not that bad surely?
Thought it would be a lot worse considering what they’ve had to endure over the last two years.
Agreed. Just over one per staff member per year. Considering what some of them must see on a daily basis, I thought the figure would be significantly higher.Thought it would be a lot worse considering what they’ve had to endure over the last two years.
Biggy Stardust said:
So everyone knows that Fred is a malingering little st but there's zero sanction for it.
I'd suggest that some change would be a good thing.
What change would you suggest and how would you implement it? I know you’re a big disbeliever in jealousy so you’ll have to explain why benefits are being reduced and the quid pro quo, or do you think you can just dictate?t but there's zero sanction for it.I'd suggest that some change would be a good thing.
I was in A&E 12 days ago for an unrelated problem, and my BP was 221/140 
Increasing my BP medication has brought it some way down, but I'm signed off now with "stress" as I'm blowed if I'm going back into my understaffed/overworked healthcare job just to give myself a stroke, until this has settled properly.
My GP is not convinced the BP is down to stress, but there are simply no other obvious causes (and they don't seem to want to send me for a full heart check up
). Apparently "hypertensive crisis" is not a reason to be off, because so long as they've doubled your meds, don't wait to see if they've worked, it'll all be fine...
I never thought it would be me signed off like this - I never take days off - I started this job in a sling with a broken wrist!
But I may simply not be able to continue in my current job unless they make some serious changes asap.
Everything in health care was tight enough already, covid has really put the tin lid it with staffing, not to mention the appalling attitude of patients. And the worry about catching covid is that you know you'll have to let your team down for a week or more isolating, as much as it is about your own health.
People can only work themselves to death once; I'm just trying to avoid that for now.
Increasing my BP medication has brought it some way down, but I'm signed off now with "stress" as I'm blowed if I'm going back into my understaffed/overworked healthcare job just to give myself a stroke, until this has settled properly.
My GP is not convinced the BP is down to stress, but there are simply no other obvious causes (and they don't seem to want to send me for a full heart check up
). Apparently "hypertensive crisis" is not a reason to be off, because so long as they've doubled your meds, don't wait to see if they've worked, it'll all be fine...I never thought it would be me signed off like this - I never take days off - I started this job in a sling with a broken wrist!
But I may simply not be able to continue in my current job unless they make some serious changes asap.
Everything in health care was tight enough already, covid has really put the tin lid it with staffing, not to mention the appalling attitude of patients. And the worry about catching covid is that you know you'll have to let your team down for a week or more isolating, as much as it is about your own health.
People can only work themselves to death once; I'm just trying to avoid that for now.
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