Betsi loses nearly 77,000 staff days to stress and anxiety
NORTH Wales’ troubled health board lost nearly 77,000 staff days due to ‘stress and anxiety’ last year at an estimated cost of £5.4m.
The figure of 76,919 days was the highest at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board since records began six years ago.
And it was more than 11,000 days higher than the previous year’s total, a Freedom of Information reply revealed.
In a statement the board, which is under Welsh Government special measures, said in the last 18 months significant efforts had been made to raise awareness of the importance of mental health.
It added: “Providing healthcare can be physically and emotionally demanding and we work hard to ensure that quality support and assistance is available for all our colleagues.
“Efforts over the last 12 months to develop the support available include training more than 200 mental health champions to encourage open discussion of mental health within the workplace, regular training on topics including stress and anxiety, and signing up to the Time to Change Wales charter, which promotes mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
“We have more than 16,500 members of staff and our rates of sickness are below the Welsh average.”
Jan Tomlinson, who chairs the Unison Cymru health committee, said everyone lost out when healthcare employees were off sick – staff and patients alike – and they wanted to work with the board to ensure absences were as low as possible.
She added healthcare workers were doing some of the most difficult and stressful work in public life, and were working harder than ever with a population living longer and with complex health needs.
But she said their commitment had not been rewarded with a decent pay rise for seven years
Ms Tomlinson said: “Unison’s annual survey of Betsi staff reported low morale; frustration at being associated with poor service and a sense of powerlessness because managers did not consult or listen to them.
“Healthcare workers felt constantly beset with change and negative media coverage; all of which increases stress and contributes to an unhealthy working environment. As a minimum they must expect dignity and respect at work. Sickness absence can be reduced by improved employer procedures and welfare support.
“Importantly, the board has acknowledged practical steps can be taken to help employees with stress and mental health issues and we want to work with Betsi to take that forward.
“I want to salute the professionalism of Betsi Cadwaladr staff in keeping healthcare services running in very difficult conditions, and I urge the authority to make staff welfare a priority.”
Betsi’s previous highest number of days lost to stress and anxiety stood at 71,890 in 2014. The lowest was 63,869 in 2013.