NHS staff each have an average of 10.7 days a year in sickness leave. This is 50% higher than the private heath sector at 6.4 days.
A report was drawn up at the request of the Department of Health in England following the publication of a national workforce review last year. More than 45,000 NHS workers are calling in sick every day. Reducing the 10.3 million working days lost per year by a third would save the NHS £555 million annually.
The British National Health Service is the largest employee in Europe and Dr Steve Boorman, who was asked to undertake the research, described health awareness within the workforce as "very inconsistent".
The review found high standards in some trusts but other areas where health was a very low priority. It concluded that there must be a complete NHS culture change to make workforce health "the responsibility of every single member of staff."
Stress, musculoskeletal problems and mental health difficulties were the most common problems suffered.
Surely it is time we debated the future of the NHS. Varying standards throughout the country are not good enough and we need consistency. Of course if staff are unhappy this will affect their performance and to ignore the reason for the stress and mental health issues is brushing the problems under the carpet.
The system is not working in this modern world. This is not to decry the NHS during my lifetime, but certainly in the past 20 years or so it has failed in many aspects.
Let's decide we want a better healthcare system and then we will have healthier staff within it.
Source: BBC
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12 comments:
It should not be surprising. If you increase the turnover of very sick people in an environment where many of the problems transmit, the rate of sickness amongst the staff is likely to be higher than that in many other kinds of work. These days there is very little spare capacity, or time allowed to deal with matters arising than in the past. The work structure is more complicated and the admin' substantially increased. I did time on an AHA many years ago, and other NHS work even in the 1950's. Given what I see now, the pressure on individuals is much greater. The system is being run flat out, so you must expect staff to be adversely affected.
Dear Subrosa
I know someone working as an auxillary nurse. Although he says he is okay he has had problems.
I am not surprised that there is a problem.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
My wife use to be a therapy radiographer at Guy's Hospital in London. The tales she told me of 'sickies' were horrendous. Plus ca change.
Isn't it time therefore Demetrius for the whole system to be reoganised?
The money obviously isn't filtering down to the hands-on staff, thus causing these serious problems.
Time to think the whole thing all over again.
There are always problems in workplaces with staff not handling stress or having mental health problems.
These two 'illnesses' are related and need to be managed quickly to avoid them becoming long-term.
As long as the boxes are ticked what do the staff matter? That's the feeling with many of them at present.
I can well believe it Cato.
The NHS is Labour's election weapon of choice. Trouble is it is now mis-firing every time they pull the trigger. It's what they do, screw absolutely everything they touch. "Pardon, Afghanistan?"
Afghanistan is beginning to backfire badly on them OR and you've done a great job in the past few days.
We must keep up the pressure and hope the MSM pick up on some of it. Of course much of that 'has been warned' I should think.
I agree, subrosa.
But as for the sickie thing, I think it's a bit of a non-story. The public-sector average is one day less. And the NHS is public-sector so the same incentives apply. Except I suspect NHS staff are probably a bit more dedicated than average. So add on the fact that the staff are particularly exposed to communicable diseases and are often required to stay off work more strictly when they are ill than a normal employee (to protect patients) then, to be honest, I'm surprised it's not higher.
If the human body was to function at full capacity ignoring its internal and external feedback signals to vary its fuction according to the need for rest, repair, defence and offence - human survival would have been impossible. We naturally function at an effective median for normal daily activity, stresses and strains. However to survive we must have a 'built in' slack which allows for extra capacity when the body is under threat. This enables us to respond efficiently by, for example, raising our heart rate or increasing our breathing. In this manner 100% capacity is called upon only when necessary to deal with extra-ordinary circumstances before returning to normal. To function constantly at the ultimate level depletes the body's energy reserves extremely rapidly and it will fail and collapse. Without therapy to return the body to median function - we will continue to fail and die.
The idiotic idea that the NHS can function at a constant 95-100% capacity, leaving nothing spare for extra-ordinary events, will inevitably result in collapse. NHS politico-management has brought this about in its failure to understand the basic elements of common sense and by wielding undeserved power and influence have gradually de-professionalised the health professionals. It may be appropriate to mechanically manufacture pizzas at 100% capacity but patient care cannot be automated as the current unprecedented sickness rate in staff, soaring administative costs, dirty hospitals and emigrating newly qualified doctors....etc. clearly demonstrate.
Little wonder Daniel Hannan would not recommend the current constipated NHS management structure and incompetent function to the US.
IPP, I do think most healthcare workers are dedicated people but there's no breakdown of areas in which sickness is more prominent so you're right - it is a non story really.
Ah Clarinda, an excellent comment as always.
I take it you think the NHS should be reorganised in some way? ;)
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