BOSSES at Colchester Hospital have celebrated seeing light at the end of the tunnel as its huge number of staff absences continues to fall.

In January, NHS England’s medical director Professor Stephen Powis revealed health services were on “a war footing”, with Covid-related staff absences more than doubling in a fortnight.

And the damning situation was echoed at hospitals run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which includes Colchester, Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich hospitals.

Figures show workforce absences reached 6.3 per cent in January, equating to up to 800 staff remaining off work.

Covid-19 wasn’t just the main factor, however, as another pandemic of staff stress, anxiety and depression was hitting hospitals.

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It has now been revealed, by February 23 the numbers were coming down “considerably” to about half the absences seen in January.

A director at ESNEFT, Kate Read said: “The main causes of absences were stress and flu, translating to Covid.

“During Covid we have seen a very equal balance of staff off for stress, anxiety and depression, as much as cold and flu.

“This is where our wellbeing team has been focusing their time, quite rightly. We have had excellent feedback from our staff on wellbeing checks carried out with them.”