More than 15,000 working days lost due to Covid-19 at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals

The British Medical Association say the figures – which show millions of days were lost nationally – demonstrate how the pandemic has affected a health service that was “woefully” short on staff before it even began.

NHS Digital data shows the equivalent of 79,886 full-time staff days were lost due to sickness at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust between March and December.

More than a fifth of these 17,568 were because of Covid-19, with staff worst affected towards the beginning of the pandemic.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals staff were absent for 4,711 days because of coronavirus in April, but were least impacted in August – losing 201 days.

In comparison, the equivalent of 46,355 full-time staff days were lost due to sickness at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust between March and December.

Of these 2,281 were because of Covid-19, with staff worst affected at the end of the year.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trust staff were absent for 731 days because of coronavirus in December, but were least impacted in April – losing 111 days.

However, these figures were unavailable for one month during this period.

Around 2.5 million days were lost in the NHS across England due to the virus, giving an overall sickness absence rate of 4.7 per cent between March and December.

Dr David Wrigley, deputy chairman of the BMA, said: “We know the NHS went into the pandemic woefully short on staff and these worrying figures highlight how Covid-19 has made a severe workforce shortage even more desperate.

“Covid-related staff absences coupled with the significant negative impact on NHS staff mental health and wellbeing during the last year have meant more staff needing to take time off work, threatening the NHS’s very ability to provide essential services.”

According to the figures, more than half a million days were lost across England due to stress, anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric illnesses in December – the highest of any month since the pandemic started.

Dr Wrigley said the wellbeing of “exhausted” NHS staff is paramount as they face the biggest backlog of care in history, or else he fears many will reduce their hours, retire early or leave the health service entirely.

NHS Providers, the membership organisation for trusts in England, said coronavirus and the usual winter pressure had a huge impact on staff, with hospitals still having to deal with the knock-on effects.

Deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said the “remarkable” work of the NHS during this challenging period must not be taken for granted, and called for long-term support.

She added: “We urge the Government to ensure the NHS has the right levels of staff to build flexibility into the system by providing a fully costed and funded national workforce plan.

“This will help to relieve the pressure on staff, making it easier to cover sickness absences, while ensuring a manageable workload and a better work-life balance.”

The NHS figures also show that nurses and health visitors at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals were absent most often.

Between March and December, they were sick on a combined 28,753 days – 36 per cent of all staff absences.

The figures also reveal support staff for doctors, nurses and midwives at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trust were absent most often.

Between March and December, they were sick on a combined 18,083 days – 39 per cent of all staff absences.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it is investing £89 billion to support the “record number” of NHS staff working in England, and to help address patient backlogs.

A spokesman added: “We recognise the enormous pressure this pandemic has put on our heroic NHS and social care staff and we are funding dedicated mental health support, including a 24/7 helpline, to provide help to those who need it.”