Mental health-related absences cost Avon Fire and Rescue over £841,000

Mental health absences reported by Avon Fire and Rescue

Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) has reported more than 5,800 staff absences attributed to mental health issues over the past three years.

According to data obtained by Accident Claims Advice (ACA) through a Freedom of Information Request, AFRS staff lost a total of 5,858 days or shifts between 2021 and 2024 due to mental health reasons.

Anxiety and depression accounted for 2,133 of these days, while post-traumatic stress resulted in the loss of 560 days.

Impact of mental health absences on service costs

The financial impact of these mental health-related absences is estimated to have cost AFRS approximately £841,038 over three years.

For the 2021/22 period, AFRS calculated that 2,086 days lost to mental health cost the service £286,768.56.

This figure decreased to £244,611.90 the following year but increased again to £309,657.60 in 2023/24 as daily staff costs rose.

Fire Brigades Union calls for action

Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), commented on the data: “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.”

Wrack also highlighted variations in mental health provision across the UK fire services and linked the issue to a decade of cuts: “To address this mental health crisis, we need central government to provide the investment needed to rebuild the service.”

Staff ill health departures in Avon Fire and Rescue

The AFRS data also revealed that in 2021/22, 23% of staff departures were due to ill health, which may include mental health reasons.

In subsequent years, no departures were officially recorded as related to health in 2022/23, and only one staff member left due to ill health in 2023/24.

Mental health-related absences cost Avon Fire and Rescue over £841,000: Summary

Avon Fire and Rescue Service has reported 5,858 staff days lost to mental health-related absences between 2021 and 2024.

Conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress were the primary causes.

The financial impact of these absences was estimated at £841,038 over three years.

Daily costs per staff member rose from £137.44 in 2021/22 to £153.60 in 2023/24.

The Fire Brigades Union highlighted the need for improved mental health support for firefighters and called for increased government funding to address the crisis.

AFRS data also showed varying rates of staff departures due to ill health in recent years.