Simplyhealth Ventures

10/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/08/2026 09:38

UK hits 17 million mental ill-health sick days in 2026 on 8 October

UK hits 17 million mental ill-health sick days in 2026 on 8 October

  • The UK has hit 17 million working days lost to mental ill-health in 2026 - two days ahead of World Mental Health Day.


  • Mental ill-health is the leading cause of employee long-term absence and the second leading cause of short-term absence in the UK.


  • Up to a third of employees who have access to mental health support through their employer may not realise it.


  • 14% of employees say that faster mental health appointments would improve their ability to access the healthcare that they want, rising to 19% among younger generations.



Today marks the point at which the UK has reached 17 million mental ill-health sick days in 2026, according to analysis by health services and health plan provider, Simplyhealth. This worrying 17 million milestone falls just two days ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

Mental ill-health is the leading cause of employee long-term absence and the second leading cause of short-term absence in the UK. While employers are making efforts to support the mental health of their workforce, there remain gaps in access.


Research with 5,000 UK employees and 500 HR decision-makers, commissioned by Simplyhealth as part of its new report, The Access Gap: Building healthcare around real working lives, finds that 14% of employees say that faster mental health appointments would improve their ability to access the healthcare that they want. This rises slightly to 19% among Gen Z and 15% among Millennials.


Across all generations, 11% agree that specialist services, including mental health, would help; and 8% would like access to digital mental health support.


The research also reveals that 61% of employers say that they offer mental health support, but only 41% of employees report that they have it, suggesting nearly a third of employees may have access to mental health support without realising it.


Being clear and specific about what's available to employees is critical to improving access to services. Employees report losing an average of 2.1 working days in the last 12 months due to delayed or difficult access to healthcare, while more than half (52%) have delayed seeking medical care in the last year. 66% of employees say they would be more productive if they could access healthcare more quickly.


The economic benefit of removing these barriers to accessing healthcare are clear, with the cost of barriers to healthcare access worth £17 billion to the UK economy in 2025.


This World Mental Health Day, Simplyhealth and Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) are encouraging employers to take action to improve access to mental health support, starting by ensuring that managers are armed with key skills and confidence to talk about mental health.


MHFA trains managers to recognise signs of poor mental health, have supportive conversations, respond appropriately to staff wellbeing concerns, and signpost employees to professional support. The training also helps managers understand their role in creating a positive, psychologically safe workplace and reducing mental health stigma.


Together, Simplyhealth and MHFA have provided nearly 1000 people with free training through a tailored course: Mental Health Aware: an introduction to Mental Health.

Bree Rhodes-Wort, Partnerships Development Manager at Simplyhealth and Trained Mental Health First Aider, advises:

"17 million working days lost to mental ill-health is a stark reminder that poor mental health has far-reaching impacts - on individuals, communities and the economy.


"As a mental health first aider myself, I've seen first-hand the difference it makes to my colleagues when they can speak openly about their mental health, knowing that they'll be met with empathy, understanding and confidentiality. It is one of the most effective ways of supporting and sign-posting colleagues to the right support.


"That's why it's so important that managers have the confidence and skills to talk about mental health. When this is combined with accessible, professional mental health support through workplace health benefits, people can get help earlier, before problems escalate. Creating environments where conversations about mental health are normal, and support is easy to access, is one of the most effective ways employers can support the wellbeing of their people. A preventative approach is the best way to see off the mental ill-health crisis that the UK is so clearly up against."

Vicki Cockman, Director of Training and Consultancy at MHFA England, adds:

"Employers are paying for mental health support that up to a third of their people may not know exists. Managers are best placed to close that gap, but they can't do it alone. Train them to have the conversation and signpost with confidence, then back them with wider organisational support. Our Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards set out what effective, sustainable provision looks like, helping employers move beyond one-off training to create cultures where employees thrive."

To support its members, Simplyhealth provides fast 24/7 mental health support and counselling, health cash plans and a range of pay-as-you-go services - from open ended therapy, to coaching and neurodiversity assessments. No GP referral or pre-approval is needed, and all pre-existing conditions are covered.


As a business with no shareholders, Simplyhealth is committed to its purpose of improving access to healthcare for all in the UK, reinvesting its profits to make healthcare more accessible for everyone. Simplyhealth continually evolve and improve the services it delivers and throughout the rest of 2026 it will look at how it can evolve its mental health proposition, working together with its partners.

Download The Access Gap report: Building healthcare around real working lives

Methodology

[1] Simplyhealth Clinical Outcomes Summary (April 2025 - March 2026)


17 million mental health sick days calculation: The Health and Safety Executive estimates 22.1 million mental health related sick days were taken in 2024/25. Assuming a working week is five days in seven (minus bank holidays), there are 253 working days in a year. This leads to an estimated average of 87,531.78 mental health related sick days taken per working day. 14^th^ May is the 92^nd^ working day of the year, taking the estimated total number of mental health related sick days in 2026 to 8,036,363.64.


Access Gap report figures: Opinium conducted a nationally representative survey of 5,000 employees in the UK between 23 April and 6 May 2026, and a survey of 500 HR decision-makers in UK companies with at least 10 employees between 23 April and 7 May 2026. Simplyhealth commissioned WPI Economics to identify the economic impact of the healthcare barriers identified in the Opinium research.

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Simplyhealth Ventures published this content on October 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 08, 2026 at 15:38 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]