PFEW Conference: call for independent investigation into officer welfare in first five years

23 October 2026

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) is calling for an independent investigation into officers' health and welfare during their first five years of service.

Acting deputy national chair Paul Williams issued the call at the Federation’s Annual Conference.

The 2026 Pay and Morale Survey found that officers serving between three and five years reported the lowest happiness and the highest levels of fatigue and anxiety.

Two-thirds of all police officer resignations come from officers reaching the five-year point in their careers.

Paul said PFEW had declared a public health emergency in policing, warning that the service was failing to retain officers just as they built valuable experience.

 

Acting deputy national chair Paul Williams

Picture credit: Anderson Photography

 

“We need urgent action to stop policing burning through its people,” Paul said.

“Half of PCs have fewer than five years’ service. Two-thirds of all officers resigning have hit the five-year point and can give no more.

“That is why PFEW is calling for an independent investigation into the health, wellbeing and welfare of officers in their first five years of service, bringing together the data and lived experience needed to put concrete measures in place to better support them.

“And we cannot look away from the gravest consequence. Nearly 20 officers each year die by suicide.

Minimum wellbeing standards

“We have fought for national recording and reporting of police suicides and suicide attempts, called for common minimum standards of wellbeing and pushed for suicide-prevention training,” he added.

The Pay and Morale Survey, which received 18,537 responses, found that 78 per cent had experienced stress, low mood or anxiety in the previous year. Of those, 94 per cent said work had caused or worsened their condition.

Two-thirds of respondents said fatigue had made it difficult to carry out their duties, while 76 per cent said exhaustion had affected their family or social life.

Paul described a service under pressure from mounting workloads, workforce shortages and the cumulative effects of traumatic incidents.

System failing people

He cited detectives investigating child abuse with caseloads of 40, 50 or more, while experienced officers were leaving policing ‘because they can earn similar money elsewhere without taking the trauma home’.

He said: “These are not isolated cases. They are hallmarks of a system failing the people it relies upon.”

The Federation has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, ‘calling on her to recognise that emergency and put urgent measures in place to tackle it’

Paul warned that police reform must not distract from the immediate operational crisis.

Police reform

“Reform is needed, and PFEW wants it to succeed,” he said.

“Nine months after police reform returned to the agenda, workloads are heavier, fatigue is rising, and experience is walking out of the door.”

Paul added: “We have a broken service to fix, a profession to defend and a future to fight for. And we are going to fight for it.”

READ MORE: Conservative leader pledges 10,000 extra officers in Conference speech.