Staff absences due to mental health have soared at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) over the past three years. Union chiefs have blamed a “mental health crisis” in which firefighters are “being pushed beyond limits”.
Since 2021-22, absenteeism at the service, due to mental health reasons, has risen 40%. Work-related stress and anxiety were the most common mental health conditions cited by staff for taking time off.
Overall, NWFRS estimates the total cost for sickness absences – including for mental health – amounts to £800,000 since 2021-22. NWFRS said staff health and wellbeing was of “paramount importance”, but the Fire Brigades Union claimed the figures were the legacy of a “decade of cuts”.
Data obtained by Accident Claims Advice via a Freedom of Information request shows that, between 2021 and 2024, a total of 166 NWFRS staff took at least one day off work due to mental health. In 2021-22, 46 staff absences were recorded by the service, 39 of which were cited as being due to stress. A further five were marked as down to anxiety.
The following year, 55 mental health absences were logged with 42 due to stress, six due to anxiety and three marked as depression. By 2023-24, 65 staff members had taken time off work due to mental health – 39 for stress, 12 for anxiety, and a further 13 marked as ‘other mental health’.
NWFRS estimates the total cost of all sickness absences, including for mental health, amounted to £232,794 in 2021/22. This figure rocketed to £326,361 in 2022/23, before falling back to £249,858 in 2023-24. As the figures only include employer costs, the actual cost may be higher.
Annual staff absences at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service in the three years to 2023-24
(Image: Accidentclaimsadvice.org.uk)
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Matt Wrack said: “We are facing a mental health crisis in the fire and rescue service. Since attending traumatic incidents is an unavoidable part of the job for firefighters, mental health support is vital. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
“But, despite the evidence that firefighters are struggling, fire service mental health provision is patchy across the UK. After a decade of cuts to the fire and rescue service, firefighters are being pushed beyond limits to keep the public safe. Responding to life-or-death situations without adequate resources is intensely stressful. To address this mental health crisis, we need central government to provide the investment needed to rebuild the service.”
To put the figures in context, NWFRS employs around 1,000 staff, including support positions as well as operational roles. The service has 44 fire stations, of which 36 are retained stations, and protects a population of around 678,000 people.
A NWFRS spokesperson said: “The health and wellbeing of our staff is of paramount importance to us and lies at the heart of everything we do, being one of our core values. As a service, we have established a variety of dedicated support mechanisms to ensure our staff feel valued.
“These provide the care and resources necessary to promote an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
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