“Firefighters are being pushed beyond limits to keep the public safe,” says Fire Brigades Union
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) has seen a staggering 76 per cent rise in staff absences due to mental health amid what the Fire Brigades Union is calling a “crisis across the UK’s fire and rescue services.”
Data obtained by Accident Claims Advice (ACA) via a Freedom of Information Request to the service has found that anxiety, stress, and depression were the most common conditions cited for staff mental health absences in the last three years.
Between 2021 and 2024, a total of 115 Hereford and Worcester Fire Service staff took at least one day off work due to mental health.
In 2021/22, 29 staff absences were recorded, 13 of which were cited as being due to ‘stress’ while a further seven were logged as ‘anxiety’.
‘Depression’ was listed as the condition for seven mental health staff absences as well as one instance of ‘PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’ – bearing in mind more than one condition can be cited as the reason for absence.
The following year, the figure rose to 35 fire service staff members who took time off work due to mental health, 23 of which were due to ‘stress’ while four were marked as ‘anxiety’ and a further four logged as due to ‘depression.’
In 2023/24, the figure reached a three-year-high with 51 HWFRS staff mental health absences recorded – a rise of 76 per cent compared with 2021/22.
Of those, 31 were marked as ‘stress’, six for ‘anxiety,’ four for ‘depression’ and a further nine logged as ‘other mental health.’
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) General Secretary, Matt Wrack, told ACA: “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.”
Of those HWFRS staff members who took time off work due to mental health in 2021/22, 45 per cent went on to subsequently leave the service.
The following year, 37 per cent of staff who had mental health absences went on to leave the service and 24 per cent subsequently left after mental health sickness in 2023/24.
While it cannot be confirmed that the sole reason for leaving is due to mental health, the FBU says the ‘crisis’ within UK Fire Services must be addressed.
Secretary Matt Wrack added: “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.”
Accidentclaimsadvice.org.uk offers a specialist service for anyone looking for support and advice after being affected by mental health.
They operate a 24-hour helpline and live chat service which you can access on their website.
About the Author
Hereford & Worcester Fire #and Rescue Service
We have 25 fire stations based across the two counties and we have firefighters available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to 999 calls. Our core purpose is to provide our communities with sustainable, high quality firefighting, rescue and preventative services. Our three driving principles are to ensure firefighter safety, ensure community safety and ensure the delivery of quality services.
