Mental health crisis is costing millions say UK Fire & Rescue Service

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“Firefighters are being pushed beyond limits to keep the public safe,” says Fire Brigades Union.

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 of thirty four Fire and Rescue Services that responded to the request in full before the deadline, thirty people reported a rise in staff absences due to mental health.

Cost of the mental health crisis

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% compared with 2021/22.

The London Fire Brigade estimates that the total cost of all sickness absences to the service amounted to £25,693,253.88 between 2021/22 rising to £28,697,037.01 and is now at a three-year-high with the estimated cost to the service standing at £29,552,381.75 for 2023/24.

Fire Brigades Union General Secretaries statement

The Fire Brigades Union 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.

“After a decade of cuts and to address this crisis, we need central government to provide the investment needed to rebuild the service.”

Nationwide impact

Across the UK, the biggest increase in staff mental health sickness absences was recorded at Cumbria Fire and Rescue which saw a 75 per cent rise between 2021 and 2024. It is followed by Surrey Fire and Rescue which saw an increase of 68 per cent and Royal Berkshire, where staff mental health absences rose by 67 per cent in the last three years.

The highest number of mental health staff absences was at London Fire Brigade, where a total of 1,129 have been logged in the last three years.

UK Fire & Rescue discuss impact of mental health crisis: Summary

The Fire Brigades Union have spoken out about increased amount of firefighters who are struggling with their mental health.

General Secretary for the FBU, Mark Wrack, highlighted why firefighters might be struggling. Noting attending traumatic incidents and decades of cuts to the service as being impacting factors.

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