King’s Mill Hospital staff took more sick days in December than a year before – but trust remains one of the best places to work

The British Medical Association has warned the NHS is facing an “unprecedented crisis”, with burnt-out staff unable to work and a lack of investment causing further stress, anxiety, and depression.

The latest NHS Digital figures show the NHS staff sickness absence rate was 6.3 per cent in England in December 2022 – up from 5.4 per cent the month before, and slightly higher than 6.2 per cent a year previously.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, 6 per cent of the available full-time-equivalent working days were missed in December 2022.

One month earlier, the rate was 5.2 per cent, while in December 2021 5.7 per cent of all FTE working days were classed as absent.

Separate figures from NHS Digital show about 847 working days at SFH – which runs Mansfield Community, Newark and Sutton’s King’s Mill hospitals – were lost due to Covid-19.

The trust said a survey showed SFH staff were among the happiest in the country.

Rob Simcox, SFH director of people, said: “We are proud SFH is the best acute trust to work for in the Midlands for the fifth year in a row, according to results of a national staff survey; some 72 per cent of our colleagues recommend the trust as a place to work – first in the Midlands and third in the country – in the 2022 NHS Staff Survey.

“Despite the many national challenges across the NHS, it is great that colleagues’ overall experience of working at SFH ranks among the very best in the country.

“However, there is always more work to do and to emphasise the commitment to our people and the importance of our workforce, in June 2023 the trust launched its people strategy, focused on empowering and supporting our people to be the best they can be.

“As part of this, recruitment and retention is a top priority and we are working with local health and education partners to create career pathways and ensure our people are happy and engaged at work.

“Our people are what makes the trust one of the best and I want to say a massive thank you to everyone for continuing to deliver quality, safe and compassionate care, particularly during challenging times.

“We recognise the impact that working under intense pressure for prolonged periods has on our colleagues at work and at home. We have an extensive programme of physical and mental health and wellbeing support to ensure that colleagues feel properly supported when they come to work and can deliver the best possible care for patients.”

Nationally, colds, coughs and flu were the most reported reason for sickness, accounting for more than 580,000 FTE days lost and 22 per cent of all sickness absence in December 2022.

Anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses were the second most reported reason, accounting for nearly 550,000 FTE days lost.

Clinical support staff lost the most working days with just more than 1 million, followed by nurses and health visitors with 740,000, and infrastructure support staff, including NHS managers with 380,000.