Over One Million Days of Nursing and Midwifery Time Lost to Mental Health Crisis in Scotland
More than one million days of staff time for nurses and midwives have been lost across Scotland’s National Health Service in the past five years due to mental health issues, figures revealed today.
The data, obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, shows a significant increase in lost staff time, reaching 253,873 days last year – a 15% jump from the 221,357 days recorded the previous year. This equates to nearly 3,000 years of cumulative lost work time for frontline staff. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde reported the highest figures, with 64,528 days lost in the last year, followed by NHS Lothian (40,900) and NHS Lanarkshire (36,328). The rising rates of staff absence due to mental health concerns are exacerbating existing pressures within the already strained healthcare system.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton stated, “We have been raising concerns for years now about the stress and pressure that NHS staff are under. When nurses and midwives are stressed and run off their feet, they are in no position to provide the highest quality care for their patients.” He added, “The government must urgently rewrite their failed recovery plan so that it prioritises the recruitment and retention of hardworking staff, preventing burnout and ensuring there are enough staff on each shift.” For more information on supporting mental health in the workplace, resources are available from Mind.
Health Secretary Neil Gray responded, saying the government is “working to make Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work” and that staff welfare is a “top priority.” He highlighted a 14% increase in the number of nurses (to 64,059) and an 11% increase in midwives (to 3,267) over the past decade, alongside existing wellbeing resources like a 24/7 compassionate listening service and access to psychological therapies. You can find more details about the Scottish Government’s commitment to the NHS here.
Officials say they will continue to monitor the situation and assess the impact of current support programs on staff wellbeing.
