A THIRD of NHS workers have been forced to take time off to deal with mental health issues in the last year as stress and overwork drive them to “breaking point,” Unison has warned.

The union’s survey of more than 19,000 health workers, published at its healthcare conference in Edinburgh, found that 85 per cent had faced workplace stress over the last year.

Participants said stress had driven symptoms such as PTSD, panic attacks and insomnia, with one admin worker from north-west England even reporting it had led to a heart attack.

Pointing to the lack of support, an admin worker from the six counties reported: “I’ve been signed off by my GP due to work-related stress and high blood pressure for six weeks. 

“I’m now on medication and looking for other jobs.” 

They were one of a third of respondents forced to take sick leave by the pressure of work, with just 23 per cent of whom feeling able to tell their boss the real reason.

Unison head of health Helga Pile said: “Such high levels of stress in the NHS should be ringing alarm bells. 

“Staff who care for others are being pushed to the point that they’re becoming unwell themselves. There should be no stigma around mental health, especially in healthcare. 

“Staff need proper support to cope with the pressures they face.

“Government and employers must do more to help staff with their mental health, including providing fast-track access to treatment and moving away from punitive and counter-productive absence policies.

“They must also act to ensure the NHS is safely staffed to meet the growing needs of communities.”

The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.