12,552 officer working days were lost to sickness in Gloucestershire Constabulary last year

9 December 2025

The Chair of Gloucestershire Police Federation has urged officers to seek support and take up free health checks, as it emerged that a massive 12,552 officer working days were lost to sickness in Gloucestershire Constabulary last year.

Adam Williams was commenting on Home Office figures collected by The Telegraph, which show that, nationally, 1.63 million police working days were lost to illness or injury in the year to March, the highest level since records began.

This is the equivalent of more than 40,000 officers off work every day across the country, and 5% of all police working days being lost to sickness.

Adam said: “I am, sadly, unsurprised by these figures. Officers are dealing with huge pressures on a daily basis, from the stress of heavy workloads, to the pressure to improve performance, to the culmination of trauma, and not having any time to decompress.

“But that over 12,000 police officer working days were lost to sickness last year in Gloucestershire Constabulary is a huge concern, and I am working with the wellbeing team to look at ways we can improve the support offered to officers.

“The force continues to provide independent health checks for those who wish to take up the offer. Having had one myself recently, I would encourage colleagues to use this service to help identify any areas of concern – unfortunately, many other forces do not provide this.”

Adam added that he has been working closely with the force’s wellbeing advisor, doing drop-in sessions around the force to talk about all aspects of welfare and support. “We will continue doing this into 2026,” he said.

He continued: “If any members are struggling, please reach out for support, as I am aware of the pressures colleagues are working under and the challenges they face daily. I also encourage officers to visit the force’s wellbeing portal, which has various helpful links.”

A spokesperson from the Police Federation of England and Wales also commented on the national figures, saying: “What is shocking is the record number of police officers – nearly 9,000 a year – who are resigning from policing before the job breaks them. More than 18 officers die by suicide every year.

“Policing needs to fix its leadership and create healthy workplaces where officers can thrive. Bad pay, worse morale and the challenge of working in conditions where every shift ends late and rest days are cancelled regularly are contributory factors to sickness absence.”