Over 2,500 staff were off on long term sick leave at once this year, fuelling calls for an NHS recovery plan. The figures also reveal health service personnel were off for long periods of time on 43,881 occasions over the past five years.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton: “These figures show that NHS staffing is in a fragile place. Staff are utterly exhausted from dealing with huge pressure on every shift and occupational risks like long Covid. Many feel they have no other option but to take long term leave or quit the profession entirely.”
Experts have warned the impact of the pandemic has left the NHS workforce feeling demoralised. Figures uncovered by the Scottish Lib Dems show the toll sickness is having on staff who themselves are there to help patients recover.
In 2019/20, 7069 doctors, nurses and midwives were off on long term sick. It jumped to 7,571 twelve months later, increased to 8,451 in 2021/22 and soared to 10,748 in 2022/23. It fell back slightly to 10,042 last year.
Of the 2,555 staff who were off at once this year, the overwhelmingly majority were nurses.
Cole-Hamilton said: “If we are to avoid another winter crisis in our NHS, ministers need to plug the huge gaps in the workforce. We would completely overhaul the SNP’s failed NHS Recovery Plan to prioritise the recruitment and retention of staff and increase training places in key areas such as mental heath and dentistry.
“The SNP also need to reverse their opposition to a Burnout Prevention Strategy for staff, otherwise they run the risk of losing many more NHS staff who we desperately need.”
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