Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Mental health conditionsOccupational Health

Primary care workers find work more stressful than finances or family life

by Nic Paton 5 Oct 2016
by Nic Paton 5 Oct 2016

Almost nine in 10 (88%) primary care workers find their work stressful, significantly higher than the 56% of the wider UK workforce who say the same, a poll by mental health charity Mind has concluded.

The poll of more than 1,000 NHS workers in primary care, including GPs, practice nurses, practice managers and their colleagues, showed that work was currently the most stressful area of their lives, ahead of their finances, health, family life and relationships.

The psychological impact of workplace stress on primary care workers was significant, the charity argued, with two in five (43%) saying workplace stress had resulted in them resigning or considering resigning from their jobs.

One in five (21%) say it led them to develop a mental health problem, and almost one in 10 (8%) felt workplace stress had caused suicidal thoughts. One in six (17%) said stress had led to them taking medication for a mental health problem.

As well as the impact on mental health, the poll also found stress had a significant impact on workers’ physical health, with eight in 10 (83%) saying it affected their ability to sleep, and more than half (54%) saying it directly affected their physical health. Workplace stress also resulted in one in six (17%) calling in sick to avoid work.

Primary care workers were also resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms for dealing with the stress of work, with two in five (42%) drinking alcohol at least once a week and, despite the known harm it causes, almost one in 10 (8%) smoking every day.

One of the biggest problems appeared to be a fear of disclosing stress levels in the workplace.

One in three (31%) said doing so would lead to them being perceived as less capable than their colleagues. Two in five (22%) also felt disclosing would count against them when they were considered for promotion.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Separately, the latest figures released by NHS Digital have suggested that NHS staff sickness absence across the board increased in April, to 4.01%, compared with the 3.99% reported in April 2015, according to NHS Employers.

The lowest sickness-rate groups for April 2016 were nursing, midwifery and health visiting learners, at 0.87%. The highest groups were healthcare assistants and other support staff, at 6.09%.

Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consultant editor at Personnel Today. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for Personnel Today and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
NHS occupational health services targeted in cost-saving plans
next post
How can you avoid legal and HR pitfalls in family businesses?

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Four ways employers can reduce the risk of...

14 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today