UCU says Cardiff University cuts caused ‘life and death’ mental health crisis amongst staff

TW: Mentions of suicidal thoughts

The University and College Union (UCU) has said that the proposed Cardiff University cuts caused a “life and death” mental health crisis amongst staff.

This comes as the Cardiff branch of the UCU released its results from a staff survey on mental health.

According to the UCU, the survey’s results revealed a “severe and urgent mental health crisis among staff linked to the management of its widespread and controversial cuts process”.

‘I have felt suicidal’

197 responses were gathered, along with 1,104 free-text comments which included experiences of “suicidal ideation, risks of staff suicide, and staff fearing for their pregnancies due to the effect of stress and job insecurity”.

Many of the comments made in the survey were deemed “alarming and concerning” by the UCU.

One respondent wrote: “I have considered having an abortion as a result of the panic,” with another adding: “I have felt suicidal more than once over the last few weeks.”

Cardiff University

A third staff member called the mental health support by the university “woeful” whilst another said they are now reviewing “additional medical treatment – both physical related to blood pressure and in relation to mental health”.

Listing the issues faced by staff, Cardiff UCU said: “Survey respondents reported widespread and severe manifestations of stress, anxiety and depression, including crying every day, not sleeping or eating properly, nausea, panic attacks, weight loss, stomach problems, lack of clear thinking and concentration, exhaustion, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, struggling with caring duties, drinking, taking medication, taking sick leave, and feeling suicidal.”

According to UCU, the evidence gathered in the survey showed a “comprehensive breakdown of trust and morale” and a “total health and safety crisis”.

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78 per cent of those who took part in the survey were at risk of redundancies at the time of information gathering (March 2025).

The survey comes as Cardiff University proposed to close a number of courses and cut, at one point, 400 jobs. However, it has recently been revealed that many jobs were able to be saved, and only two courses will be closing.

It has also been said that some staff members were made aware of the proposed job cuts by the media or students.

via Kerie McCombe on Creative Commons

It was added that when initial job cuts were announced, vice-chancellor Professor Wendy Larner was asked how staff should go about their normal duties as usual amid the “devastating context she had announced”. Her reported reaction to the question was to laugh.

The UCU mentioned how this detail was not meant to “personalise the issue”, but illustrated “the poor practice when communicating with staff”.

Furthermore, in the survey, it was found that 88 per cent of respondents said these proposals had “negatively affected their health and wellbeing”, with the same percentage claiming Cardiff University “has not offered adequate wellbeing and mental health support”.

92 per cent of respondents also felt as if “they and their colleagues have not been treated respectfully and with dignity by the pro-vice chancellor”.

Additionally, 93 per cent said they do not feel valued by Cardiff University.

UCU urges the university to ‘do better’

A Cardiff UCU spokesperson said in response to the survey’s findings: “Given what we have found about the impacts of [the cuts] on staff health, we are very concerned that over 400 people are still in scope for redundancy.

“Management’s current plan, up for consideration by University Council next week, allows for [staff] to be left at risk for years to come. It also allows [the University Executive Board] to move staff in all school in and out of scope for redundancy depending on short-term student recruitment and changed to staff-student ratios.”

They added that these plans are “a recipe for disaster”, suggesting that if this were to go ahead, the “nightmarish” results found in the survey surrounding staff mental health “crisis” will “become the new normal”.

Members of Cardiff UCU outside the Centre for Student Life via X

The UCU also demanded that the university “does better” and to invest “adequately in mental health and wellbeing support” amid the “concerning” survey responses.

The union said the survey’s results showed how the cuts process is an “unfolding and comprehensive disaster for staff health, university workload, day to day operations, and academic community”, which will later be considered by the University Council on 17th June.

Since the survey’s results, Cardiff UCU has referred Cardiff University to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Cardiff University’s response

A Cardiff University spokesperson said to The Cardiff Tab: “We understand the impact that the last few months have had on all colleagues. As with all Welsh and UK universities, we face significant challenges to our sustainability, and this has necessitated some very difficult decisions.

“The results of UCU’s survey, and the comments, make for difficult reading. The report has already been discussed by our University Executive Board. Following further meetings with UCU, a draft action plan has been developed at pace, in collaboration with our trade unions. The final plan will be confirmed shortly, but a number of the actions are already being put in place, including monthly meetings between management and trade unions, focused entirely on wellbeing.

“We are listening and are committed to working in partnership with the trade unions on actions to address specific points, to improve wellbeing for all members of our community and to ensure we continue to provide timely communication. It is important to stress that support is available to all staff. If staff need advice, help and immediate support, we urge them to reach out immediately.

“We continue to seek opportunities to enhance this support offer, in partnership with trade unions. We note UCU’s decision to refer the University to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

“We are surprised by this development because we thought we were working in partnership with the trade unions on the development of a wellbeing action plan, and we thought we had agreed the draft plan was to be finalised at the first of the new joint wellbeing meetings, which will take place next week and then monthly. Like other universities facing similar referrals, we will provide any information required by the HSE.”

If you have been affected by anything in this article, you can seek support via Samaritans and Mind Cymru.

Feature image via Google Maps