Sickness in NHS Wales
Published: 28 January 2009
Since April 2004, sickness absence rates averaged around 14 working days per year for an NHS trust employee in Wales.
Commenting on the Auditor General’s report that NHS staff sickness is still a “significant problem” in Wales despite a reduction in numbers Gareth Phillips, Chair of the RCN Welsh Board and Council Member for Wales, said:
“More work is needed to increase occupational health services for NHS staff, address their work-life balance through more flexible working, as well as reasonable adjustment of their duties to facilitate ther return to work from sick leave. Sickness is not one issue, it is lots of different things going on and each one of these things needs to be looked at."
For more information on the way in which RCN Wales engages with employers to develop effective working practices to safeguard RCN members please contact RCN Wales on 0845 772 6100. For information on how to join the RCN and receive support from Wales' largest specialist health workers union representing all the members of the nursing family please visit the membership section of this website.
RCN Wales represents in excess of 23,000 members of the nursing family.