NHS Trusts and Local Government lose £2.2 billion to staff mental health absences since 2019.

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day; an annual global event which aims to raise awareness about suicide and prevent loss of life. And it’s important that employers are aware, because mental health issues are on the rise among UK workers.

As mental health issues become the second largest cause of lost working time in the NHS, our Director of Consulting Services, Steve Carter provided expert evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Coronavirus in preparation for the winter.

FirstCare data shows that Covid-related absences now last under 3 days on average - a dramatic reduction from 29 days in Q1 2020 - with most instances now owing to vaccination and recovery. But should employers be expected to shoulder that loss in productivity, or do employees have a responsibility to plan around the jab?

Working time lost to poor mental health cost the NHS £371.2m over the last twelve months.

When Covid-19 hit in March, FirstCare faced a spike in demand that tested our systems, our technology and our people more than we could have imagined. In this article, Ed Lane and John Coyne explain how the we maintained critical services during the first wave pandemic... and how we prepared for the second.

FirstCare’s CEO Ian Caminsky discusses how data can be used to tackle the rising epidemic of mental health-related absence in the workplace. With our data showing that 60% of workers will leave their job following two mental health-related absences, Ian explains how organisations can use data to inform wellbeing policies, ensuring vital conversations about mental health take place.

The NHS lost nearly ten days per employee to absence in 2019. FirstCare’s CEO Ian Caminsky explains how our health service can use data to reduce absence and help support NHS workers. As the NHS looks to level up its technology, executives and policymakers should remember to look to the basics first: using data to understand why staff are having to take sick days and be absent from work.

In this article, published in March 2020, Ian Caminsky explains there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to the problem of public sector workers missing more work than private sector employees. He says leaders in the public sector must properly analyse available absence data and develop strategies to ensure employees thrive.

FirstCare’s CEO Ian Caminsky outlines how businesses can address the UK’s productivity problems by managing absence and supporting employees’ mental and physical health. Ian explains how in addressing the causes of absence businesses will reduce costs, improve employee wellbeing and increase productivity in the workplace/