Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have had their service cut short as a result of a decline in their mental health due to trauma experienced while on duty.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of officers on long-term absence, recuperative duties and medical retirements. This information is published annually as part of Police Workforce in England and Wales statistics. However, figures specifically on those who have left as a result of trauma experienced are not available in this data.

The Government has been clear about its commitment to support the mental and physical wellbeing of all police officers and staff, and is working with police leaders to ensure this.

We have invested in programmes which offer help directly to officers and staff. This includes £7.5million to fund the development of the National Police Wellbeing Service, which was launched in 2019. The Service is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

The Government has also accelerated work to introduce a Police Covenant, which will ensure our police get the support and protection they need. Our focus will be on health and wellbeing, physical protection and support for families. We are in no doubt that an area we must focus on is mental health support. In addition to covering police officers, staff and volunteers, the Covenant will also cover those who have previously worked in policing roles, to ensure that they are also supported once they leave the service.

We will continue to work closely with policing partners to ensure the Covenant has a lasting impact on both those who work, or have worked in policing.