Nurses Sick leave - FOI Response Register

Please include the following information for the following financial years: 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25:

1. Total number of days lost due to sick leave taken by NHS Nurses

2. The total number of NHS nurses who took sick leave

3. Total number of days lost to Mental Health issues taken by NHS nurses

4. The total number of nurses who required sickness absence on mental health grounds

5. The number of NHS nurses taking more than seven days of absence without a sick note

6. The total number of days lost in excess of the seven days. For example, if an individual has taken off 10 days without a sick note, then this would be 3 days in excess of the seven days

Please note the following caveats in providing this response –

Excludes Midwives

NHS Scotland absence data is collected and reported in working hours as opposed to days.

The nationally agreed reason of “Anxiety/stress/depression/other psychiatric illnesses” has been used when absence on mental health grounds has been requested

For Q2 if a Nurse has 2 posts or more and is on sick leave from any number of these posts they are counted as 1 staff member.

For Q2 and Q4 If a nurse has a period of sick leave which straddles the financial year, they will be counted as 1 staff member in each financial year.

For Q2 and Q4 if a nurse had more than one period of absence in a financial year they are reported as 1 staff member

For Q5 and Q6 all “unauthorised absences” have been reported, which may not be due to sick leave and not providing a sick note.