A stacked bar chart from the Institute for Government showing NHS hospital staff days lost to absence, by reason, 2015/16–2024/25. Total absence peaked at just over 5% in 2021/22, driven by a rise in respiratory and infectious diseases during the pandemic. Mental health-related absences have increased from 0.83% to 1.36% over the time period, while other causes remain the largest category at 2.77% in 2024/25.