14.03.13
Over £1bn ‘wasted’ on NHS sick pay in three years
NHS trusts are “wasting money” on staff sick leave by failing to implement key recommendations to reduce absences, new research indicates.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) found that trusts in England have spent over £1bn on sick pay over the last three years, with musculoskeletal conditions accounting for over 19.3m sick days.
The Boorman review, published in 2009, called for trusts to implement effective health and wellbeing strategies and rapid access to occupational health services such as physiotherapy.
But 37% of trusts who responded to the CSP’s Freedom of Information request did not have a strategy in place, and 19% did not offer rapid access to treatment for staff. Trusts without strategies had seen sickness bills rise by 14% in the past three years, compared with just 4% for those with a plan in place.
CSP chief executive Phil Gray said: “The NHS takes a double hit when an employee is unfit to work – there is the cost of covering that absence, and a gap in provision that can lead to cancellations and longer waiting times.
“In the current climate, we frequently hear that services are being cut because of budget constraints yet NHS trusts seem to be deliberately failing to implement Boorman and this blatantly obvious way to save money.
“Instead of cutting services to reduce costs, they must invest in rapid access physiotherapy and other occupational health schemes that keep staff in work to help deliver the savings that are needed.”
Dr Steve Boorman, who wrote the 2009 report, said: “While it is encouraging that a number of trusts now have a policy in place, it is disappointing that a significant portion do not, especially when there is such clear evidence that it makes a difference to efficiency and patient care.”
Dean Royles, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said: “Investing in the health and well-being of staff makes sense in any organisation.
“There are many ways that organisations can support the health of staff effectively. Last year NHS Employers recommended offering staff rapid access to rehabilitation and treatment, a recommendation seconded by the CSP report today.
“But supporting staff health is about more than just lowering sickness absence. We need to make sure that we encourage a culture where signs of stress or concern are spotted early and to support staff to take responsibility for managing their own wellbeing.”
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