Mental health increasing reason for firefighter absence, report says
Mental health problems are an “increasingly prevalent” reason for firefighter absence from work, brigade bosses say.
A report says mental health was jointly the most common reason for referrals, tied with musculoskeletal complaints, between April and September last year.
The update on the brigade’s occupational health service also says Covid-19 has severely reduced the number of face-to-face appointments and medicals taking place, but says the service will catch up “when the pandemic is controlled”.
Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority’s Strategy and Resources Committee will discuss the report, written by Chief Fire Officer Rod Hammerton and HR Manager Lisa Vickers, when it meets on Thursday.
The report authors explain that Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service’s occupational health contracts, worth a total of £68,000, are held by Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and Shropshire Council.
Face-to-face contact with occupational health advisors have been “temporarily suspended” due to the coronavirus pandemic, they write.
“This has had an impact on the number of three-yearly and recruit medicals and asbestos medicals,” Officer Hammerton and Ms Vickers say.
“A limited number of face-to-face appointments have been reinstated around medicals to allow essential recruitment to take place. These are conducted following strict Covid-secure procedures and held in large well-ventilated rooms.
“When the pandemic is controlled a plan will need to be implemented to follow up on paper review asbestos medicals, catch up on three-yearly medicals and any other outstanding elements of medical surveillance.
“It is not possible to plan this in detail yet.”
Statistics in the report show that, between April and September 2020, there were 14 consultations with the occupational health adviser for mental health reasons, with another 14 logged as “musculoskeletal” appointments. “General medicine” and “general surgery” accounted for nine and three referrals respectively.
Between October 2019 and March 2020, by contrast, musculoskeletal referrals outnumbered mental health 29 to 11.
“Mental ill health is increasingly prevalent as a cause of both short- and long-term absence,” Officer Hammerton and Ms Vickers write.
“Along with stress, musculoskeletal injuries and acute medical conditions, it remains most commonly responsible for long-term absence.”
Fitness testing is provided by the University of Worcester’s McClelland Centre under a £22,000 deal, separate from the occupational health contracts.
“Fitness assessments have not been affected significantly overall by the pandemic,” Officer Hammerton and Ms Vickers write.
“No service was available for the initial couple of months of lockdown but was reinstated.”
By the end of September, 306 tests had been carried out, just 33 fewer than the previous year, with catch-up sessions planned.
