Today, on BBC Reporting Scotland, faithfully repeating what’s in 1919, an online mag with no peer-review and no standards of referencing, dedicated to representing uncritically the views of the police officers’ trade union and any opposition politician who will help them claim they’re hard done by, in Scotland:
The number of working days lost to mental ill health in Police Scotland has surged by more than 50 per cent over the past five years. Since 2019, officers and staff have taken a total of 440,630 days off due to psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, and stress. The findings come amid growing concerns over rising levels of burnout, driven by falling numbers and increasing demands. The number of days taken off by police officers and staff suffering mental ill health rose from 63,797 in 2019/20 to 96,509 in 2023/24
It’s another ‘add-em-up and don’t tell em about the trend to get a big number‘ exercise by the Lib Dumbs. Notice they don’t tell us the figures for the 20/21, 21/22 or 22/23? Has the trend turned down? Is the one year change too wee a percentage?
There is, of course, no breakdown so that we can see what proportion is stress as opposed to more serious forms.
They tried the same trick in 2021, so lets just insert the 2023/2024 data and see what we get.
Police Scotland has 23 000 employees, more than 17 000 officers and around 6 000 other staff.
There are 256 working days in a year minus the 28 to 48 days leave depending on service.
So, around 220 working days, on average?
In total, 5 060 000 working days available in any year. To play their game. 96 509 days lost is 1.9% and less than 4 days per member of the 23 000 staff. How does that compare?
How about paramedics? 4-5%1
The UK average for stress, depression or anxiety’ per year? 21 days, 8%!!!!!2
Driven by falling numbers and increasing demands?
Numbers – more staff than they had under Labour in 2007.3
Demand – half as much crime as under Labour in 2007. 4, 5
Sources:
- https://www.scottishambulance.com/contact-us/freedom-of-information/foi-requests/staff-mental-health/
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm
- https://www.gov.scot/publications/police-officer-quarterly-strength-statistics-30-june-2023
- https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2022-23/pages/4/#:~:text=The%20total%20number%20of%20crimes,Scotland%20has%20decreased%20by%2013%25
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Thw LLib Dems have to resort to Simple arithmetic to produce alarming statements as they have proved that the they don’t understand percentages – let alone comparisons of the rate of change employed by so many to distort statistical data.
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”Hello ! Hello ! Hello !
Please step out of the archive , sir . Are these your statistics , sir ? Is this your calculator , sir ? What , you borrowed it from Damn Jaikie baillie ? Have you been drinking , sir ?
What’s that ? Do I know who you are ? ACH ? Sorry , sir , never heard of you !
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Oh I know who Cole-Hamilton is all right. He is, I believe , the most evil person sitting in the Scottish Parliament. I’m aware there are a number to chose from, but for me , he is the worst. His grossly offensive pursuit of Michelle Thomson, will live long in my memory.
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