London Fire Brigade sees rise in mental health sick days

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has seen a surge in mental health-related sick leave.

Staff taking time off due to stress, anxiety or depression increased by more than 20% last year and more than 40% since 2018.

Over 18,500 LFB days lost in 2022 due to mental health issues.

London MP Anne Clarke said the figures show the brigade is in danger of a “mental health crisis”.

Clark said the workforce had been “worn out” from the pressures of the pandemic and the cost of living.

“These shocking numbers are a damning indictment of the austerity and budget cuts that have ripped our public services apart,” Clark added.

In response to criticism, the Home Office stated that “individual fire departments were responsible for the health and well-being of their own staff”, and since 2018/19 funding for the fire service has increased annually. said the service was set to receive around £2.6bn. 2023/24.

Last year, a total of 18,663 working days were lost across the Brigades due to stress, anxiety and depression. This is up from his 13,235 days in 2018.

City officials said the “external environment” due to the pandemic, along with “improved efforts to raise awareness of mental health in the brigade,” contributed to the rise.

Following the findings, an LFB spokesperson said staff were “frequently exposed to traumatic incidents” and that they recognized the need for staff to be properly supported.

They noted that the brigade has a variety of mental health services, including trauma counseling, mental health first aid, and a welfare team.

Last year, the LFB’s Wellbeing Strategy was updated and now around 800 managers within the LFB are undergoing mental health training.