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Bid to solve NHS sick leave dilemma
23 Nov 2009- No movement in independence talks
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The Government is due to accept a range of recommendations aimed at driving down staff sickness and absence in the NHS.
High rates of illness and stress are impacting on patient care, the final report from Dr Steve Boorman is expected to say.
The independent review was commissioned by the Department of Health to find ways of improving the health and wellbeing of 1.4 million NHS staff.
Dr Boorman is expected to call for staff health checks, counselling for those with mental health problems and healthy eating advice to help people who are overweight. The report will also call on NHS organisations to lead the way in promoting healthy lives to members of the public.
The measures have the potential to save millions of 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% higher than the private sector average of 6.4 days.
The NHS loses 10.3 million working days annually due to sickness absence alone, costing £1.7 billion per year. Reducing this by a third would mean an extra 3.4 million working days a year, and annual direct cost savings of £555 million.
Almost half of all NHS staff absence is accounted for by musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, and more than a quarter by stress, depression and anxiety.
Dr Boorman's report is expected to say that staff with musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems should receive early support.
The occupational health expert published an interim report in August as part of his NHS Health and Wellbeing Review for England. He found that while many NHS workers drink in moderation, more than one in five of them smoked and only about half of NHS staff exercised 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.
