St George's Hospital has lost almost 60,000 working days over the last three years due to staff suffering stress.

Statistics revealed that between 2016-18, the total number off stress-related staff absences at the trust rocket by 25 percent.

Despite the number of days lost going down by 18,000, the number of days of taken as a result of stress went up from 15,721 in 2016 to 22,929 between Jan 2018 and October 2018.

 

*FTE = Full-time equivelent. Data from FOI request.

In total, 301,834.35 days have been lost between between 2016-18 due to sick days. This has cost the trust an estimated £26,322,912.35 over the same period. 1,905,644.65 days have been lost, where anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses were cited.

Between Jan 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019 a total of 22,929 days off taken where stress specifically was cited. This is a 25 percent increase from 2016. St George's Hospital Trust employed an average of 8,777 staff from January 2016 to date.

*FTE = Full-time equivelent. Data from FOI request.

A St George’s spokesperson said: “The physical and mental health and wellbeing of our staff is a key priority for the Trust. We offer a range of services to help staff lead healthy and happy working lives – including exercise and mindfulness classes – and we also employ a Health and Wellbeing Lead to support these services.

“Staff can also access a range of support services – including counselling – to help them manage challenges in their work or personal lives. We recognise that creating an environment for our staff within which they feel supported and cared for is a key responsibility for the Trust, and is also a crucial part of the care we provide for our patients.”