One Third of Sick Notes for Mental Health Issues
A recent NHS report has shown that one third of all Fit Notes (formerly known as Sick Notes) are issues for mental health issues. That is an increase of 14% in notes relating to anxiety and stress between 2015-16 and 2016-17. Mental health issues are now the most common reason for people taking time off work.
This is alarming on a number of levels. Obviously, it is showing the direction that the health of the nation is going. Indeed, for years organisations like the UK Council for Psychotherapy and the Royal College of Psychiatrists have been calling for mental health to be treated with parity with physical health.
If we look beyond health, look at the economy. There are thousands upon thousands of work days lost now to mental health issues. Quite frankly not looking after the nation’s mental health is not good for business.
It is high time that the government stops paying lip service to this issue and invite the key stakeholders into talks as to how the NHS, the Private and the third sector can assist in this epedimic of mental health disorder before the issue reaches a point where no amount of time and money will stem its flow.
