Skip to main content
The Website Services team at NHS England are testing early designs to understand how you find information. Your views will help us check our ideas work. Sign up to take part in our user research.

Publication, Part of

NHS Sickness Absence Rates, July 2026

Official statistics

Publication Date:
29 Oct 2026
Geographic Coverage:
England
Geographical Granularity:
NHS Trusts, Hospital Trusts, Ambulance Trusts, Mental Health Trusts, Regions, Clinical Commissioning Groups
Date Range:
30 Apr 2009 to 31 Jul 2026

Current Chapter

NHS Sickness Absence Rates, July 2026

View all

Next Chapter

Author, Copyright and Licensing
Page contents

Summary

This report shows monthly sickness absence rates of NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) staff working in NHS Trusts and other core organisations and NHS Support Organisations and Central Bodies. Data is presented by NHS England region, ICS area, organisation, organisation type, staff group and reason for sickness absence.

We welcome feedback on the methodology and tables within this publication. Please email us with your comments and suggestions, clearly stating NHS Sickness Absence as the subject heading, via [email protected] or 0300 303 5678.

Key Facts

NHS Absence rates in July 2026

The overall sickness absence rate for England was 5.5%. This has increased slightly since June 2026 (5.3%) and increased compared to July 2025 (5.1%).

Regional and organisational type variation

The North West region reported the highest sickness absence rate in July 2026 at 6.3%, increasing slightly since June 2026 (6.0%).

 

The South East of England reported the lowest sickness absence rate in July 2026 at 4.7%, rising slightly since June 2026 (4.6%).

 

Ambulance Trusts had the highest sickness absence rate at 7.0% in July 2026, increasing slightly since June 2026 (6.6%). Commissioning Support Units had the lowest sickness absence rate at 3.8%, increasing slightly since June 2026 (3.4%).

Staff group differences

Support to ambulance staff reported the highest sickness absence rate in July 2026 at 8.2%, increasing since June 2026 (7.7%).

 

HCHS doctors reported the lowest sickness absence rate in July 2026 at 2.2%.

Reason for sickness absence

Anxiety/stress/depression/other psychiatric illnesses was the most reported reason for sickness, accounting for over 775,300 full time equivalent days lost and 31.5% of all sickness absence in July 2026 (rising from 30.2% in June 2026).

Last edited: 29 October 2026 9:31 am