Over 45,000 NHS staff call in sick each day
Over 45,000 NHS staff call in sick every day, which is lowering standards of patient care, according to the first national NHS Health and Wellbeing Review into staff habits.
By Andy Bloxham
Published: 9:30AM BST 19 Aug 2009
Comments 23 | Comment on this article
telegraph.co.uk
NHS: Annual NHS sickness levels are 10.7 days a year per employee Photo: AP
The independent review found Improving the health and well-being of 1.4 million NHS staff could potentially save over half a billion pounds every year.
Annual NHS sickness levels are 10.7 days a year per employee - higher than the public sector average of 9.7 days and 50 per cent higher than the private sector average of 6.4 days.
Related Articles
NHS 'should set challenges' to improve staff health
Alzheimer's carers awarded £300,000
NHS negligence payouts 'top £800 million'
Cameron defends health spokesman over industry links
Swine flu: give blood now to avoid shortages
Post mortem examinations suspended at hospital over fears of failing standards The NHS loses 10.3 million working days annually due to sickness absence alone, costing £1.7 billion per year.
"A reduction of a third would mean an extra 3.4 million working days a year, and annual direct cost savings of over half a billion pounds (£555 million)," the study said.
The interim report from the NHS Health and Wellbeing Review is published by occupational health expert Dr Steve Boorman.
He was asked by the Department of Health earlier this year to lead the review.
He found that while many NHS workers drink in moderation, more than one in five of them smokes, including heavy and casual smokers.
Only around half of NHS staff exercise on three days or more each week.
When it comes to staff sickness, the review found that those who worked more than eight hours a day had higher rates, as well as those who felt pressure to return to work.
Women were more likely to report in sick, alongside those who had worked for the NHS for a long time.
The review found that while NHS workers were more likely to pick up illness and infections through their work, this could not explain all of the higher rates of absence.
It said: "Nearly half of all NHS staff absence is accounted for by musculoskeletal disorders, and more than a quarter by stress, depression and anxiety."
It went on: "Most staff believe that their state of health affects patient care."
More than half of the 11,000-plus members of staff who contributed to the study said they felt more stressed than usual at the time of completing the survey.
Dr Boorman said: "While there are strong examples of good practice, staff health and well-being provision is patchy across the service.
"By putting staff health and well-being at the heart of how the NHS operates, we will not only help improve the working lives of 1.4 million people, but evidence suggests we will make significant savings and improve outcomes for patients."
More than 80 per cent of the 11,337 NHS staff who took part in the review's survey said their state of health affects the quality of the patient care they deliver. |
