“Firefighters are being pushed beyond limits to keep the public safe,” says Fire Brigades Union
UK Fire and Rescue Services have seen a 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 Freedom of Information Request to UK Fire Services has found that work-related stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD were the most common conditions cited for staff mental health absences in the last three years.
Out 34 Fire and Rescue Services that responded to the request in full before the deadline, 88 per cent (30) reported a rise in staff absences due to mental health.
What’s more, the estimated total cost of all sickness absences (including for mental health) since 2021 is £84m at London Fire Brigade alone – so is likely to be well in excess of £100m for the UK’s fire services as whole.
Between 2021 and 2024 more than 24,000 UK Fire Service staff took at least one day off work due to mental health, with the figure rising year on year.
In 2021/22, 7,359 staff absences were recorded, rising to 8,300 the following year.
The figure has now reached a three-year-high with 10,338 UK fire staff mental health absences recorded – a rise of 40 per cent compared with 2021/22.
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.”
For more information please visit: https://www.accidentclaimsadvice.org.uk/mental-health-claims/
About the Author
Fire Brigades Union
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom for wholetime firefighters (including officers up to chief fire officer / firemaster), retained firefighters and emergency control room staff.
