Increase in number of officers signed off with stress

THE number of officers signed off through stress, depression, anxiety, stress or post-traumatic stress disorder has increased at South Yorkshire Police.

A total of 165 officers were signed off in the financial year ending March 2015, compared with 117 the year before. Of these, 145 were police constables, while 20 were sergeants or inspectors. And of the officers signed off in the last financial year, 85 were suffering from stress.

Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “I’ve been warning for some time that workloads have been increasing, people are working longer with less breaks. It’s bound to have a toll on people’s health and I don’t think the force are geared up to it.

“I’m glad to see that doctors are signing people off with stress and anxiety. It’s no longer a taboo word within the service, but we need to intervene early. Supervisors need to see trigger points that their staff will obviously be displaying before it’s too late.”

Nationally, one in 20 police officers took time off sick in the last financial year – that is 6,278 police officers. This is up from the previous year, when 5,460 officers were signed off.

A Freedom of Information request asked forces how many officers took sick leave for depression, anxiety, stress or post-traumatic stress disorder in the financial year ending March 2015. However, no data is available from five forces: Gloucestershire, Humberside, South Wales, Suffolk and West Yorkshire Police.

In 23 forces there was an increase in the number of officers signed off – including the British Transport Police, PSNI, Essex, Merseyside and West Midlands Police.

City of London, Dorset, Greater Manchester Police and Police Scotland did not respond to the request. Derbyshire Police would not release the information and Devon and Cornwall were not able to return the information in a comparable format.

Emergency workers are far more likely to suffer from mental illness than those in other professions, according to the mental health charity Mind, and they are even less likely to get support.

Resourcing is to blame for the increasing number of stress-related sick days, according to the Police Federation of England and Wales. John Murphy, of the Federation’s Health and Safety Sub Committee, paints a picture of a role where officers spend hours alone, with little support, little back up and little job satisfaction.

Mr Murphy, a Met officer, said the job has changed. He said: “There are fewer officers doing all the same work. And it is not all about crime. It is dealing with sudden deaths, negotiating with people in crisis, welfare checks and so on.

“A lot of stress comes from the constant workload. People are going from call to call to call. There is a lack of service that officers feel they are giving because they don’t have time. Reducing the number of officers means there are fewer people to do that work.”

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Rhodes, the NPCC’s lead on wellbeing and engagement, said: “Undoubtedly all the issues of reducing numbers and occupational health department cuts are relevant to those suffering.

“Stress is a health epidemic of the 21st century and we must react quickly to help our officers and staff through tough times. We know from a range of surveys and research that, on top of what can be by its very nature a stressful job, the levels of uncertainty and change within the service are increasing stress levels.”

Other help is available in the meantime. If you need confidential advice or support on any of these issues, call Mind’s Blue Light Infoline on 0300 303 5999.

Mike Penning, Police Minister, said: “Policing, by its very nature, is a stressful and demanding job and it is the responsibility of chief officers — with help from the College of Policing – to ensure that police officers and staff are supported in their work.

“This Government is doing all it can to make it easier for the police to do their job. We have cut red tape and unnecessary targets to free up police time, given officers discretion to use their professional judgement and are working across government to stop the police having to pick up the pieces when other public services are not available.

“The proportion of police officers and staff on short, medium and long-term sickness fell between 2010 and 2014, according to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary. But we should never be complacent. That is why, last October, we allocated £10 million to help support emergency services personnel and volunteers, focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support.”