Stress main cause of NHS staff absence, trust finds

Stress is the biggest cause of absences among staff at a NHS trust

Stress is the biggest cause of absence among staff at a health trust, a council has heard.

An official at the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) gave an update report to Cumberland Council on Thursday.

NCIC assistant director David Allen also revealed the results of a recent staff survey, which suggested that close to half of respondents came into work despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties.

Where possible, early interventions were put in place to stop people getting sick, he said.

Mr Allen told Cumberland Council’s health committee that 3,242 staff members responded to the annual NHS Staff Survey.

The trust employs 6,500 full-time equivalent staff, as well as 1,500 bank and agency staff.

The findings suggested 57.2% of respondents had a good work and home life balance, and that 52.6% felt the organisation took positive action on health and wellbeing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However it also found that 23% of respondents found their work emotionally exhausting, said Mr Allen.

On the fact that stress was the biggest cause of sick days for hospital staff, Mr Allen said this would "probably always remain" the case.