Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions affect many people and can affect your joints, bones and muscles and sometimes associated tissues such as your nerves. Let's look at which NHS staff are most affected by this.
28.69% of NHS staff have experienced musculoskeletal problems as a result of work activities in the last 12 months alone according to the NHS Staff Survey 2023.
This is number is down around 1.4% from 2022 however it still remains a serious problem.
Across the whole of the UK, over 30 million working days are lost due to MSK conditions every year in the UK and they account for up to 30% of GP consultations in England.
Let's take a look at which groups of staff are most likely to experience MSK.
30.58% of 51-65 year olds within the NHS have experienced MSK problems as a result of work activities in the past 12 months. This is followed by 41-50 year olds at 28.63%.
39.16% of this group reported MSK problems due to work activities compared with 25.03% of staff with no existing long lasting health conditions or illnesses.
Ambulance staff are more likely to experience MSK problems with 44.18% of staff reporting issues due to work activities in the past 12 months. This is followed by nursing and healthcare assistants.
Over half of all ambulance technicians and paramedics have experienced MSK problems due to work in the past 12 months.
Those staff in patient facing roles are more likely to experience MSK, especially those interacting with patients frequently.
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