{"id":7949,"date":"2026-04-28T09:06:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T08:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=7949"},"modified":"2026-04-28T09:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T08:06:22","slug":"uk-overworked-health-staff-report-stressed-out-says-unison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=7949","title":{"rendered":"UK: Overworked health staff report stressed out, says UNISON"},"content":{"rendered":"

A third of employees in the UK National Health Service (NHS) have taken time off for mental health issues in the past year with many staff talking about reaching \u201cbreaking point\u201d, according to the union\u00a0UNISON<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A survey of health workers, including nurses, occupational therapists and paramedics, has also found more than four in five (85%) have experienced stress at work over the past 12 months.<\/p>\n

UNISON says the findings \u2013 based on responses from more than 19,000 staff and released during the union\u2019s annual health conference in Edinburgh and released two weeks ahead of the\u00a0psychosocial hazards-themed International Workers\u2019 Memorial Day on 28 April<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 paint a grim picture when the NHS workforce is under pressure to reduce waiting lists.<\/p>\n

Staff say\u00a0stress has had a significant impact on their mental and physical health, with symptoms including anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, migraines, and sleep disturbance.<\/p>\n

Some have experienced high blood pressure, stress-related vomiting, dizziness and breathlessness, according to the findings of the union survey. One NHS worker even reported suffering a heart attack due to understaffing and high workloads.<\/p>\n

Many\u00a0described reaching breaking point, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by sustained levels of stress. This has affected their relationships and family lives, with some reporting suicidal thoughts, UNISON says.<\/p>\n

NHS workers also described taking antidepressants and beta-blocker drugs, as well as undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling.<\/p>\n

Almost a quarter\u00a0(23%) of those taking sick leave didn\u2019t tell their employer the real reason\u00a0for their absence from work. Of those, most said they did not feel\u00a0their manager would support them, while concerns about stigma and not\u00a0wanting colleagues to know were also common.<\/p>\n

Counselling, medication or other forms of support had been sought in the past year by more than one in four (28%) of those under stress. Almost two thirds (65%) of those who had taken time off for stress reported feeling that they were under pressure to come to\u00a0work,\u00a0despite feeling mentally unwell. This adds strain to an already overstretched workforce, UNISON says.<\/p>\n

UNISON head of health Helga Pile\u00a0said: \u201cSuch high levels of stress in the NHS should be ringing alarm bells. Staff who care for others are being pushed to the point that they\u2019re becoming unwell themselves.\u201d She added: \u201cGovernment and employers must do more to help staff with their mental health, including providing fast-track access to treatment and moving away from punitive and counter-productive absence policies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unison news release<\/a><\/p>\n

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