asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the average number of days of sickness absence taken by (a) nurses; (b) healthcare assistants and nursing auxiliaries; and (c) other employees, in each National Health Service Trust for each Health Service Region in the years 1998 and 1999. [HL1218]
The information available centrally is shown in the table. We have agreed national improvement targets in sickness absence rates of 20 per cent. by 2001 and 30 per cent. by 2003.
| Average sickness absence rates and estimated number of days of sickness absence for directly employed NHS staff | |||
| England 1998–99 | |||
| Region | Number of staff (thousand WTE) | Average sickness absence rate (%) | Estimated annual number of days of sickness absence (million) |
| England | |||
| All staff | 730 | 4.6% | 7.8 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery (N&M) staff | 245 | 5.2% | 2.9 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 103 | 7.0% | 1.7 |
| Other staff | 381 | 3.8% | 3.4 |
| Eastern | |||
| All staff | 63 | 4.4% | 0.6 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 21 | 5.2% | 0.3 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 11 | 6.7% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 32 | 3.5% | 0.3 |
| London | |||
| All staff | 122 | 4.3% | 1.2 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 42 | 5.0% | 0.5 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 13 | 6.0% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 66 | 3.3% | 0.5 |
| North West | |||
| All staff | 107 | 4.6% | 1.1 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 37 | 5.7% | 0.5 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 15 | 7.0% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 55 | 3.6% | 0.4 |
| Northern & | |||
Average sickness absence rates and estimated number of days of sickness absence for directly employed NHS staff
| |||
England 1998–99
| |||
Region
| Number of staff (thousand WTE)
| Average sickness absence rate (%)
| Estimated annual number of days of sickness absence (million)
|
Yorkshire
| |||
| All staff | 99 | 4.7% | 1.1 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 34 | 5.2% | 0.4 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 13 | 6.0% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 52 | 4.2% | 0.5 |
South East
| |||
| All staff | 110 | 4.0% | 1.0 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 36 | 4.3% | 0.4 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 15 | 5.5% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 59 | 3.5% | 0.5 |
South West
| |||
| All staff | 71 | 4.4% | 0.7 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 24 | 5.0% | 0.3 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 12 | 6.7% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 36 | 3.5% | 0.3 |
Trent
| |||
| All staff | 77 | 5.5% | 1.0 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 25 | 5.6% | 0.3 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 12 | 8.7% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 40 | 4.8% | 0.4 |
West Midlands
| |||
| All staff | 80 | 5.1% | 0.9 |
| Qualified nursing & midwifery staff | 26 | 5.4% | 0.3 |
| Unqualified N&M staff and healthcare assistants | 12 | 8.3% | 0.2 |
| Other staff | 42 | 4.2% | 0.4 |
Notes
Estimated days off from sickness absence are based on 230 working days per year per full-time employee.
Source:
Department of Health's September 1998 Sickness absence, accidents and violence survey.