Excessive work due to other people being sick

[Shehasadiamondinthesky]

I'm so sick of doing double work because half our staff are off sick, I'm NHS, I'm both disabled and have a serious mental health problem akin to schizophrenia but I really do love my job and I've only been off sick once in a year and I really was sick.
There seems to be a toxic atmosphere of moaning here and then going off sick, I really have never seen anything like it. It would not be tolerated in my last trust.
I don't think our job (medical field) is stressful, it's hard work but that's because everyone else is off sick and the remainder have to pick up the slack.
I've seen some of the people off sick out shopping and on the beach so I have to wonder if they are really incapable of coming to work.
I don't interfere because staff management is not my job.
I am being floored with the volume of work as are the others who are working and it just isn't sustainable in the long run.
Is there anything I can do or talk to about this situation.
I have a lot of medical appointments but I arrange them all out of work hours or take annual leave.

Speak to your manager about your workload and if that fails speak to HR, your employer has a duty of care and the last thing they'll want is more people going sick ...

As a note though;
I've seen some of the people off sick out shopping and on the beach so I have to wonder if they are really incapable of coming to work.

It depends entirely on the reason they're off sick. If they're off sick because they have COVID or another type of contagious sickness then yes they should be at home. If they're off sick because they have a broken leg or stress or something like that then that's different. Take stress for example, they're stressed because of something work related which doesn't carry on into their home life..

You don't just have to be sat at home miserable when you're off sick.. (Unless like I said its COVID/Flu/something contagious)

I hear you op.
I feel like a right mug sometimes still dragging my backside to work despite the long long list of excuses others seem to be able to find.

If you or your colleagues are finding it difficult or stressful coping with the increased workload then you need to raise it with your line manager, HR, occy health and your Union could offer you advice. Burnt out staff leads to poor patient care and you all have a responsibility to bring that to the attention of management, dont worry about the reason why others are off, just concentrate on the workload and how it is affecting staff and patients.

If you can't manage the workload due to no fault of your own, then things are just going to have to not get done.

You need to address the increased workload with management; but you seriously need to address your attitude to your colleagues shopping or being at the seaside. I have severe msk issues currently and am off sick - I am quite capable of both shopping and, if someone were to drive me there, go to the seaside (in fact, walking in the sand would be hugely beneficial).

Thanks everyone for the advice I'll talk to my manager.
I have very severe MSK issues yellredder and occasionally have to use a wheelchair and I can assure you that if I go off sick I am certainly not capable of walking on the beach or going shopping!!! I'd be lying flat on my back unable to move and ordering food in online.
Quite frankly I'd love to know how serious your msk issues can be if you can go off and walk three dogs like some of them or go to the shops.
If I can move I get to work on decent painkillers.

But that’s your msk issues. You have your own pain management techniques. If one of my msk issues flares up, I can be flat on my back struggling to move. But with the two I am currently off with I have managed to go from being just about able to make it from the bedroom to the bathroom three months ago to being able to walk miles now - and it’s the walking that is the pain management. What I can’t do is drive very far, but I’m working on that. And I can’t sit for longer than about 20 minutes. I have a colleague at work who is very judgmental about another colleague who has msk issues, who is often off or working from home and I’m sure she’s this judgmental because she’s seen me come in in agony, and fall, wear supports and walk about in meetings to try and cope with the pain. She probably wonders why the other colleague can’t do this. But the truth is I’ve not done myself any favours by doing so and it’s taken an unrelated accident and a stay in hospital for me to address this. A walk along the beach would be wonderfully beneficial for my msk issues and assist on my road to recovery. But it wouldn’t help you and it might be helping your colleague but that’s actually none of your business.