London Fire Brigade sees rise in mental health sick days

The number of London Fire Brigade members citing mental health issues is on the rise.

Mental health-related sick days have risen sharply among the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

Staff taking days off due to stress, anxiety and depression rose by more than 20% in the last year, and by over 40% since 2018.

There were over 18,500 working days lost among the LFB in 2022 due to mental health concerns.

London Assembly member, Anne Clarke, said the figures show the brigade is on the verge of a "mental health crisis".

The data was requested and received by Ms Clarke, who says the workforce has become "exhausted" from the pressures of the pandemic and the cost of living.

Ms Clarke added: "These shocking figures are a damning indictment of austerity and the budget cuts that have ripped our public services apart."

'Traumatic incidents'

Responding to the criticism, the Home Office says "individual fire brigades were responsible for the health and wellbeing of their own staff" and that funding for fire services had increased every year since 2018/19, with services set to receive around £2.6 billion in 2023/24.

A total of 18,663 working days were lost across the brigade due to stress, anxiety and depression last year - up from 13,235 in 2018.

Officers at City Hall said "improvements in the brigade's commitment to mental health awareness" contributed to the rise, alongside "external circumstances" from the pandemic.

In response to the findings, an LFB spokesperson said staff are "frequently exposed to traumatic incidents" and recognised the need for staff to be properly supported.

They noted that the brigade has a range of mental health services, including trauma counselling, mental heath first aiders and wellbeing teams.

Last year, the LFB Wellbeing Strategy was updated, and around 800 managers within the LFB have now received mental health training.

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