Hospitals in Greater Manchester have been hit by a wave of staff off sick with stress and anxiety. Almost 500 patients were forced to wait more than 12 hours for a bed on a ward in December, new figures have revealed.
The Omicron wave that saw thousands of NHS staff off sick or isolating at the start of the year is abating, but the workforce is now being hit by a rise in stress and anxiety absences.
One hospital trust in Greater Manchester said the rise is down to 'operational pressures' that have seen junior doctors sacrifice training. READ MORE: The update came during a meeting of the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) NHS Foundation Trust's board of directors yesterday.
In board papers reviewed during the meeting, one report reads: "Sickness rates continue to increase across the NCA with the most common reason being stress, depression and anxiety." The Northern Care Alliance operates a number of hospitals and health care units across the region, including Salford Royal Hospital, the Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General, and Rochdale Infirmary.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk