NHS staff sickness levels '50% higher than private sector'
More must be done to combat the spiralling levels of sickness among NHS staff, according to independent experts.
A new government-commissioned NHS Health and Wellbeing interim report said by helping workers NHS trusts could improve performance and efficiency.
Annual NHS sickness levels of 10.7 days a year per employee are higher than the public sector average and 50 per cent higher than the private sector at 6.4 days.
The report outlined how by giving staff access to services such as physiotherapy and counselling, it could help prevent serious problems developing.
During the research, 11,000 staff completed questionnaires and 200 responses were received from NHS trusts.
Stress, musculoskeletal problems and mental health difficulties were the most common problems suffered.
Dr Steve Boorman, who led the review, said there was now a clear business case for the NHS to do more, and improve management skills.
Similar findings in June found that NHS staff in Wales were taking more days off sick than any other public sector employees, according to Walesonline.co.uk.
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Comments
What are the management doing about this? Strikes me we are getting a lot of numbers but very little information on the causes. Without this how can the situation be addressed? Of course in the private sector it is easier to get fired.
How ironic that the very body charged with the health of the nation is failing to assist it's own employees attend for work due to "sickness".
I agree with Vince, there must be underlying or root causes for this level of sickness and it's the responsibility of managers to create an environment safe from hazards; motivating and engaging and to address problems such as absence.
It would be interesting to find out the level of self certificated absence and a breakdown of the reasons for absence including potential issues or illnesses related to occupation such as back pain from lifting patients; trauma or stress from dealing with particularly difficult or upsetting situations or from being assaulted by patients.
The research appears to have only scratched the surface and the value, therefore, must be limited.
Would be really interesting to know why Wales has such a high rate compared to anywhere else. I guess if they knew that though they may have already been able to solve the problem!
I was in hospital not so long ago and the nurse looking after me was huge. She literally had difficulty getting about and often had to be helped by other members of staff. It felt pretty awkward taking health advise from someone that clearly couldn't practice what she preached.