В Северной Ирландии запустят обучение руководителей для снижения стресса и сокращения больничных среди медперсонала

New training for healthcare managers aims to cut stress-related staff absences Work-related stress among health and social care workers is cited as one of the leading causes of absence A new training programme is to be rolled out for healthcare staff in Northern Ireland to tackle "stress-related absenteeism" and promote a "positive culture change". The training will establish new and harmonise existing "best practice" for thousands of line managers across Northern Ireland's Health and Social Care sector (HSC NI) in a bid to better enable them to prioritise and positively impact staff wellbeing. It is based on the research from, and developed by, academics at Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University in partnership with HSC NI. HSC NI has seen significant staffing challenges in the past decade, with 8% of working hours lost due to sickness absence in 2024/25 compared to 5.2% in NHS England; 2.9% in the UK public sector; and 2.0% in the UK workforce overall. Work-related stress among health and social care workers is cited as one of the leading causes of absence, the researchers found. The resulting pressure on staffing levels has also compounded patient safety concerns, with average outpatient waiting times at hospitals increasing from 43 to 64 weeks between 2020 and 2025. One of the leads on the project, Dr Denise Currie of Queen's Business School said the research established "strong links between staff wellbeing and the sustainability of the health and social care workforce". "It highlighted the importance of supportive management practices in shaping employees' day-to-day experiences," she said. "The research produced clear guidelines in terms of what works and what doesn't in employees' experience of how they're managed and how this affects their wellbeing." Co-lead of the study, Dr Heike Schroder, said the team is "now at the stage of translating that research into action". "Line managers are a critical, but often overlooked, factor in whether staff feel properly supported," she said. "They are the link between an organisation's mission and what happens 'on the ground'. "Efforts to strengthen and harmonise line management capability are therefore central to a sustainable workforce. "This new training will effectively drive positive culture change within HSC NI." HSC NI employs 76,855 people spanning clinical doctors, consultants, nurses, social workers and social care workers as well as administrative, professional and technical staff – with around 8,500 in a line-management role. The new, online training provides line managers with practical tools, such as the "Stop model" and the "Judgment shift", to help them make decisions, lead and communicate with compassion and enable the prevention of, and early intervention in, staff wellbeing concerns. The training is due to be embedded in line managers' inductions and annual training cycles from autumn this year. Jacqui Reid, co-chairwoman of the Regional Health and Wellbeing Steering Group at HSC NI welcomed the introduction of the "innovative training programme" which she described as "an important investment in our people". "The health and wellbeing of our staff is fundamental to delivering safe, high quality care," she said. "This training equips line managers with practical tools and consistent approaches to better support their teams, helping to create healthier workplaces and a more sustainable workforce." For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.