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St John Ambulance, Englands’s leading first aid charity has declared 2025 the year of holistic workplace health, warning that organisations must proactively address outdated approaches to first aid in the workplace to best protect their employees.
As businesses reopen for the first full working week of the year, employers are being urged to recognise that the traditional concept of workplace first aid is dangerously outdated.
First aid, says St John Ambulance, is no longer solely about treating physical illness or injury, or maintaining emergency first aid kits, but integrating both physical and mental health first aid to holistically keep workers safe.
Between 2023 and 2024, across the UK there were 33.7 million working days lost due to workplace injury or illness. Sick leave due to stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 16.4 million (about half) of those lost workdays.
Lisa Sharman, Head of Education and Commercial Training at St John Ambulance, said: “Workplaces that do not upgrade their approach to first aid to incorporate mental health first aid, and a focus on mental wellbeing, are in significant danger of failing to provide holistic care for their employees.”
She added: “First aid – both physical and mental – is a core component of employee wellbeing – and in 2025, it demands a more sophisticated approach from businesses.
“Mental health first aid focuses on identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of mental health issues or crises, providing initial support and guidance to professional help if needed.
“Mental wellbeing is about proactively maintaining good mental health through practices like stress management, resilience building, and creating a supportive environment.
“Together, they complement each other: mental wellbeing promotes prevention and ongoing health, while mental health first aid equips people to respond effectively when issues arise.
“Mental and physical health are deeply interconnected. The workplace has changed dramatically in recent years, health requirements are evolving, and people’s expectations of their employer have shifted.
“A holistic workplace first aid strategy draws on physical health interventions, mental health support, preventative training, and integrated wellness programmes. By investing in holistic health approaches, organisations can reduce incidents and build more resilient, productive teams.”
“As we start the new year, we are calling on organisations to adapt in order to proactively contribute to improved employee resilience, reduced workplace incidents, and enhanced overall organisational health.”
Workplace illness is a rapidly growing economic cost for England employers. Of the £21.6 billion cost to business during 2022-2023, £7.1 billion was lost to workplace injury and more than twice that amount to ill health.
St John Ambulance provides a range of physical and mental health first aid courses for the workplace that adopt a uniquely practical approach to creating competent and confident workplace first aiders.
Employers have a legal duty of care to ensure that employees are provided with a safe working environment. They must take reasonable care to prevent personal injury (including mental or physical harm) that may arise in the workplace. Employers can address first-aid provision in the workplace with the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance.
