NHS staff: Sickness absence and intention to leave the profession

Objective To determine key workforce variables (demographic, health and occupational) that predicted NHS staff's 1) absence due to illness (both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related) and 2) expressed intention to leave their current profession. Methods Staff from 18 NHS Trusts were surveyed between April 2020 and January 2021, and again approximately 12 months later. Logistic and linear regression were used to explore relationships between baseline exposures and 12-month outcomes. Results We included 10,831 participants for analysis. At 12-months, 20% stated they agreed or strongly agreed they were actively seeking employment outside their current profession; 24% said they thought about leaving their profession at least several times per week. Twenty-percent of participants took 5+ days of work absence due to non-COVID-19 sickness in the 12-months between baseline and 12-month questionnaire; 14% took 5+ days of COVID-19 related sickness absence. Sickness absence (COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related) and intention to leave the profession (actively seeking another role and thinking about leaving) were all more common among NHS staff who were younger, in a COVID-19 risk group, had a probable mental health disorder, and who did not feel supported by colleagues and managers. Conclusions There were several factors which affect both workforce retention and sickness absence. Of particular interest because they are modifiable, are the impact of colleague and manager support. The NHS workforce is likely to benefit from training managers to speak with and support staff, especially those experiencing mental health difficulties. Further, staff should be given sufficient opportunities to form and foster social connections.