NHS staff in England took a record 8 million sick days due to anxiety, stress and other mental health conditions last year, intensifying concerns over patient care and rising waiting lists.
New data shows that sickness absence across the health service has surged significantly, placing additional strain on an already pressured system.
In total, the NHS lost 28 million working days to staff sickness in 2025, up from 21 million in 2020. Of these, a record 7.9 million days were attributed to “anxiety/stress/depression/other psychiatric illnesses.”
This marks a 42% increase in mental health-related absences since 2020, highlighting growing pressures on healthcare workers.
The scale of the issue has raised alarm among analysts and policymakers alike.
The rise in staff absences has had a direct impact on patient care, with millions left waiting for treatment.
Callum McGoldrick from the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “Taxpayers will be utterly stunned by the sheer scale of working days lost within the NHS.”
He added: “While genuine illness is unavoidable, absence rates have soared to record highs year after year, costing the public billions and leaving patients languishing on record waiting lists.”
At the end of January, around 7.25 million routine treatments were still waiting to be carried out, affecting more than 6 million patients.
The NHS has also been affected by industrial action, with more than 262,000 working days lost last year due to strikes by resident doctors.
Ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions continue to disrupt services, contributing to delays and cancellations.
Rory Deighton of the NHS Alliance said: “It’s very concerning to see that staff sickness days are increasing, including a rise in days lost to mental health.”
He added that staff are working under “often-challenging circumstances” and facing “an extraordinary burden” following the pandemic.
Health leaders are calling for urgent action to support staff wellbeing and stabilise the workforce.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the government’s upcoming workforce plan will “ensure every member of staff feels supported, valued and able to thrive in their role.”
They added: “NHS staff have faced extraordinary demands… further strike action only makes that harder.”
As the NHS continues to grapple with rising demand, workforce shortages and mental health pressures, experts warn that without meaningful reform, the crisis could deepen further.