Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS workers left their positions due to workplace stress in each of the last seven years.

The Department does not collect data on the number of National Health Service workers leaving their position due to stress. Employers across the NHS are responsible for the physical and mental health and wellbeing of their staff.

Trusts are being supported to improve their staff mental health and reduce their stress through NHS England’s “Commissioning for Quality and Innovation” incentive scheme which is encouraging trusts to provide quick access to mental health support services including, for example, mindfulness apps and mental health talking therapies.

The recently published ‘Stepping forward to 2020/21: The mental health workforce plan for England¹ recognises the need to support NHS staff. The plan proposes that the Paul Farmer and Lord Stevenson review of mental health and employers – ‘Thriving at Work²’ should form the basis for Board discussions about how NHS organisations can better support their own staff and increase awareness around mental health issues amongst the workforce. The expectation is that all the recommendations within the mental health workforce plan will be implemented by 2020/21.

The Department continues to commission NHS Employers to support the NHS in improving staff health and wellbeing through advice, guidance and good practice including, for example, their ‘How are you feeling NHS? Toolkit³’ which should help staff check their own emotional wellbeing or speak to and support colleagues with theirs.

Notes:

¹https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/person-centred-care/mental-health/mental-health-workforce-plan

²https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thriving-at-work-a-review-of-mental-health-and-employers

³http://www.nhsemployers.org/howareyoufeelingnhs