Absenteeism spike among HSE doctors and dentists

NEW OFFICIAL figures suggest that there has been a sudden spike recorded in the level of absenteeism among doctors and dentists in the Health Service Executive.

The overall rate of absenteeism among HSE staff is reducing on foot of new measures introduced by management over the last year or so.

However, new figures released by the HSE to Fine Gael show that the level of absenteeism recorded among medical and dental staff increased dramatically from 1.76 per cent in April to 6.45 per cent in May.

The figures, provided to Fine Gael health spokesman James Reilly in response to a parliamentary question, show that the absenteeism level across all grades and categories of staff in April and May stood at 4.69 per cent and 4.62 per cent respectively.

In the same months in 2009, the level of absenteeism recorded across all grades and categories was 4.49 per cent and 4.54 per cent.

For 2008 the absenteeism figures for April and May stood significantly higher at 5.9 and 5.85 per cent.

However, last night the HSE suggested that the data for absenteeism levels among medical and dental personnel set out in the report given to Dr Reilly could be “unreliable” as a result of the effects of industrial action by the Impact trade union earlier this year.

Members of Impact refused to compile statistical reports for corporate management in protest at pay cuts introduced by the Government.

In a note to Dr Reilly, the executive’s national director of human resources Sean McGrath said that it had measured and monitored absenteeism on a national basis since early 2008 as part of its strategy to address absence from work.

He said that the HSE had adopted a standard national definition of a percentage absence level based on “the lost time rate”.

“This measures lost time against available time and is expressed as a percentage. Lost time is any time lost through absences due to certified and uncertified sick leave and unexplained absences.

“It does not include absences due to maternity leave, carer’s leave or other statutory approved leave.”

Mr McGrath said that this corresponded to measurements used by business groups such as Ibec and Isme and by other organisations that monitored and reported on absenteeism.

“A reduction in absenteeism levels has been set as a key result area for health service managers.

“The current target set by the national director of human resources is to reduce the rate to 3.5 per cent,” he added.