The number of people who were away on sick leave for more then three months, six months, nine months and one year, in each of the last five years is detailed as follows:
2003 2004 2005 2006 More than: 3 months 52 105 59 111 6 months 20 56 27 46 9 months 10 26 15 33 1 year 8 19 10 26 Notes: Figures for 2002 are not available. As the analysis for 2006 figures was carried out until the end of December 2006, absences of over three months but continuing beyond 31 December 2006 are recorded against 2006, even though they will finish in 2007 or later and will finally be recorded against the year in which they end. As such the 2006 figures are artificially inflated.