London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

Sharp rise in sick days linked to poor mental health at London Fire Brigade

Sharp rise in sick days linked to poor mental health at London Fire Brigade

London Assembly member Anne Clarke said the pandemic and financial worries had left the fire service ‘exhausted’ and on the verge of a ‘mental health crisis’

A sharp rise in London Fire Brigade (LFB) staff taking sick leave due to mental health issues has raised concern at City Hall.

Instances of LFB workers signing off sick due to stress, anxiety and depression have gone up by more than 40% since 2018 – and by more than 20% in the last year alone.

Anne Clarke, a Labour member of the London Assembly who requested and received data on the issue, said the “shocking” rise is a “damning indictment” of the Government’s post-2010 austerity programme.

She added that the workforce had become “exhausted” following the pandemic, and that cost of living pressures have left the brigade on the verge of a “mental health crisis”.

The Home Office said funding for fire and rescue services across the UK has increased each year since 2018/19 and that individual fire brigades were responsible for the wellbeing of their own staff.

Anne Clarke AM said the workforce had become “exhausted” following the pandemic

Some 18,663 working days were lost in the LFB due to stress, anxiety and depression in 2022 - up from 13,235 in 2018 and from 15,472 in 2021.

Officers at City Hall said the rise “appears predominantly to have been caused by external circumstances following the pandemic, as well as due to improvements in the brigade’s commitment to mental health awareness and action”.

The data was sourced by Ms Clarke via a written question to Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Ms Clarke said: “These shocking figures are a damning indictment of austerity and the budget cuts that have ripped our public services apart. And they could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Anne Clarke, Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden

“Thousands of dedicated firefighters have been doing incredible work every day to keep Londoners safe, as the service reached breaking point.


“The gruelling nature of the job, lasting repercussions of the pandemic and financial worries created an exhausted workforce facing a mental health crisis.

“The brigade is in the process of a major cultural shift, there is still much more to do. Improved mental health support must be a central component of reform.”

The LFB has said it is making such reforms, after an independent review into its culture last year found it to be “institutionally misogynist and racist”.

The LFB acknowledged that its staff were “significantly more affected by stress, anxiety and depression in comparison to other colleagues nationally”


An LFB spokesman said: “Our fire and rescue staff are frequently exposed to traumatic incidents and we recognise the need to ensure they are properly supported.

“The brigade has a wide range of existing tools and support for staff to reach out to such as a counselling trauma service, mental health first aiders, and wellbeing and learning teams. We also refreshed our Wellbeing Strategy last year and our Supporting Health & Wellbeing Policy went live in January.

"But we acknowledge that our fire and rescue staff are significantly more affected by stress, anxiety and depression in comparison to other colleagues nationally, and absence and wellbeing data shows us that we need to address psychological, physical and workplace wellbeing in order to reduce sickness absence and improve overall staff wellbeing.”

Around 800 managers in the brigade have now been given mental health training, the spokesman added, saying that the LFB would be reviewing its counselling services to meet demand.

Ms Clarke said cost of living pressures have left the Brigade on the verge of a “mental health crisis”.

Responding to Ms Clarke’s austerity criticism, a Home Office spokeswoman said individual fire brigades were responsible as employers for the health and wellbeing of their own staff.

She added: “We want to see fire and rescue services where everyone is welcome, treated with respect and able to thrive. We continue to work closely with our partners, including fire and rescue services, the Inspectorate and the National Fire Chiefs Council, to make sure the concerning issues about culture in the sector are addressed.”

She also claimed that funding for fire services has increased every year since 2018/19 - with services across the country set to receive around £2.6 billion in 2023/24.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
×