The number of emergency workers experiencing suicidal thoughts has surged to “crisis” levels, with new figures revealing a 150% increase in those seeking help due to financial pressures alone.
Exclusive data from the Laura Hyde Foundation (LHF), one of the UK’s leading healthcare mental health charities, shows emergency service workers contacted them 11,654 times in 2024, an average of more than once every hour, and a 5% rise from 2023 (11,119 contacts).
Of those who reached out, 6,199 reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviours, more than half of all contacts.
The figures lay bare the growing strain on NHS staff, medical students, police officers, firefighters, and other frontline responders, with the LHF warning these vital workers are being pushed to breaking point.
Key Findings:
- Financial stress has more than doubled: 1,667 workers cited cost-of-living concerns in 2024, up from 661 in 2023, a 152% increase.
- Workload pressures were the top reason for suicidal ideation, with 2,111 citing excessive demands at work.
- Medical professionals most affected: Nurses (3,833), medical students (2,004), and midwives (1,818) made up the bulk of contacts.
- Younger workers (aged 18–37) accounted for over 50% of those seeking support.
Liam Barnes, Chair of the Laura Hyde Foundation, said: “These figures reveal a mental health crisis within our emergency services. We are seeing alarming increases in suicidal ideation driven by financial pressure, long working hours, workplace bullying, and burnout. This raises a serious question: what is the government doing to protect the people who protect us?
“Our NHS and emergency workers are the backbone of the country – and they’re being pushed beyond their limits. We must care for our carers before the system collapses under the weight of its own neglect.”
https://laurahydefoundation.org
