Louth hospital worst for absenteeism among staff

A NEW HSE survey has found 20 per cent absenteeism rates among general support staff at one acute hospital.

According to the new Healthstat report, one in five general support staff at Louth County Hospital called in sick on any given day in February.

The survey found at the same hospital that 10 per cent of the 70 nurses were off sick on any day in the same month, with the overall absenteeism rates running at under 8 per cent.

In the Healthstat’s red, amber and green marking system, the hospital scored a red under absenteeism.

The survey found Louth County Hospital has the worst absenteeism rate among 32 hospitals evaluated, with rates at Cavan General Hospital and the Midland Regional Hospital at Portlaoise also in the bottom three.

Figures for the Midland Hospital show that absenteeism rates among “other patient and client care”at 14 per cent, with absenteeism among 258 nurses running at 8 per cent.

The overall absenteeism rate at Portlaoise was just under 8 per cent, with less than 2 per cent of that long term and a small amount of uncertified leave.

Figures for Cavan General Hospital show that absenteeism rates among its 316 nurses was running at 10 per cent, with 13 per cent of patient and client care staff off sick on any day.

Earlier this week, public service trade unions rejected proposals by Government to effectively reduce by half existing sick leave arrangements for staff.

A spokeswoman for the HSE Midlands confirmed that a number of measures are in place to address absenteeism. She said that monthly and quarterly absence reports are sent to each department by the hospital manager.

“This is usually accompanied by reminders of their responsibilities to manage absence and requesting detail of return to work interviews etc,” she said.