1. Sickness Absence
Progress Report
Version 2.3
September 2009
1

2. Key contacts in relation to this
Progress Report are:
Paul Jones
Executive Sponsor Table of contents
T:
E: Section Page
Scale of the Challenge 3
Robert Quick Introduction 4
Programme Manager
T: Benchmarking 5
E:
Deep dive analysis 6
Improvement Action 9
Allen Hitchen Project Deliverables 12
Human Resources Projects
T:
E:
Amrit Kaur
Project Lead
T:
E:
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3. The Scale of the Challenge
3

4. Introduction
This is the first progress report to the Board to provide an update on actions to deliver improved labour productivity
through reduced sickness absence
What we know about the scale of the challenge:
• 1,928 staff have been absent due to sickness in the last 12 months, representing 73% of the workforce
• The Trust is in the lowest quartile of absence performance in the NHS and ranked bottom in CIPFA benchmark study
• When compared to other similar sized acute NHS Trusts we rank 2 nd highest nationally for absence (May 2009 data set)
• During the last year absence cost the business an estimated £5 million, equivalent to an additional 217 Staff Nurses
• Sickness absence remains stubbornly high and resistant to improvement, never falling below 4.39% in 2 and a half years
To deliver a sustainable improvement on this scale requires concerted effort and the building of a positive coalition
across the workforce behind the need for immediate and urgent change
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5. Benchmarking Our Performance
Performance on Sickness 2007 - 2009 S Tyneside F
Barnsley F
James Paget Uni F
Milt Keynes Hosp F
E Cheshire
Countess Chester F
Barnsley NHS Hospital Foundation Trust Sickness Absence % N Lincs & Goole F
Rotherham F
7.0% N Tees & H'pool F
2007/2008 George Eliot
6.5% 2008/2009
Princess Alexandra
Kettering Gen F
6.0%
2009/2010 Mid Cheshire F
Mid Staffs Gen F
Sickness Percentage
Target 2009/2010
5.5%
Queen Mary's Sid
Dorset Co F
5.0%
Burton F
S Warwicks Gen
4.5%
Tameside Hosp F
Weston
Hinchingbrooke
4.0%
Harrogate & Dist F
QE King's Lynn
3.5% Bedford
Poole F
3.0% S'port & Ormskirk
W Suffolk
2.5% W Middlesex Uni
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Month Taunton & Somers F
Airedale
Yeovil Dist F
Winch & Eastleigh
D'ford & Graves
H'wood & Wex Park F
0.00% 1.00% 2.00% 3.00% 4.00% 5.00% 6.00%
 Sickness absence ranges between 4.39% and 6.54%  The chart and table illustrate that Barnsley FT ranks 2nd highest
when compared with acute Trusts of a similar size (Source: NHS
 The pattern for absence shows an increase during the winter Data warehouse May 2009)
months November to January, with some increase over summer
 Barnsley FT ranked 80th of 80 organisations for sickness
 The peak period for absence is December absence in a recent benchmarking study (Source: CIPFA Public
 There has been a consistent trend to absence over 3 years Sector Benchmarks)
 August 2009 shows a small reduction in trajectory over trend
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6. Deep-Dive Analysis
Sickness Landscape Sickness Patterns
Average Number of days Lost 19 days
% of staff taking no sick leave 27%
% of staff taking sick leave (1928) 73%
% of long term sick leave (379) 20%
% of short term sick leave (3%) (397) 21%
% less than 3% (1,152) 59%
Total episodes of sick leave 3,852
Demographic Profile of Sickness
Age: as age increases staff are more likely to have longer periods of sickness, younger staff take predominantly more short term
sickness absence
Gender: 86% of absence is represented by female staff, this is out of line with the Trusts workforce profile which is 82% female
 Grade: the proportion of sickness split by grade reflects the workforce, with the exception of AFC band 2 where the proportion of
sickness is significantly higher.
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7. Sickness Scorecard
Sickness Performance League Table Estimated Sickness Cost
Staff Group % Trend Average Total
Absence since Days Lost Days
year Lost
previous 0.63
Estates and Ancillary 9.04% ▲ 3.34% 33 1812
Additional Clinical Services 7.62% ▼-0.09% 28 11372 0.86 Direct Labour Costs
Total £5 Million Agency Medical
Add Prof Scientific and Technical 6.18% ▼-0.64% 22 3021
Agency Non Medical
Nursing and Midwifery Registered 5.92% ▼-0.17% 21 16277 3 Nurse Bank
Administrative and Clerical 4.50% ▲ 0.30% 16 8433
0.62
Allied Health Professionals 2.74% ▲ 0.28% 10 928
Healthcare Scientists 1.93% ▼-0.46% 7 394
Medical and Dental 1.43 ▼-0.02% 1 1038
Short/Long Term Absence Split Sickness Absence League Table
Percentage of Staff within each Division reaching the Long Term or Short Term Trigger
18% Sickness Absence by Division: Sept 2008 - Aug 2009
16%
Surgery and Critical Care Division 6.08%
14%
% Reaching Trigger
12%
Integrated Medicine and A&E Division 5.62%
10% Long Term
8% Short Term
6%
Diagnostics, Clinical Support & Outpatients Division 5.16%
4%
2% Women's & Children's Services & GU Medicine Division 4.62%
0%
Corporate Women's & Diagnostics & Surgery & Integrated Total
Children's OPD Critical Care Medicine & A&E Corporate Functions & Operational Support 4.61%
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Division

8. Sickness by Reason
Absence Reasons Actions
Occupational Health will be revisiting the
assessment criteria and validation for
Diarrhoea & Vomiting cases
Cold/Flu will in future be reported as
separate categories
 Flu vaccination programme will be
launched in October
Stress/Anxiety cases will be rapidly
referred to occupational health for early
assessment as these are most likely to
result in prolonged absence.
Review of the stress surveys and action
plans to ensure these are optimised to
focus on effort demonstrable improvement
Better identification of reasons for
absence; “Other” category for sickness to
be removed
 Adoption of an annual health check for all
employees is being investigated subject to
commissioner funding approval
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9. Improvement Action
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10. Goals
Sickness Absence Challenge
The Trust Workforce Programme set a goal to improve productivity through
implementing a range of labour productivity measures. Workforce Productivity
In July 2009 the Board adopted a simplified sickness absence policy with a Absence Cost
clear improvement target set for 3% 6
5
£000,000
4
£X m £5m
3
£2 million
Delivery Plan 2 £3m £3m
cash &
In August 2009 an implementation plan was developed to support delivery of the 1 productive
improvement target. The HR Team was mobilised to meet this plan and staff 0 time saving
representatives engaged in the need for improvement. The delivery plan has Target Current
three critical components
Sickness Absence
6
Percentage absence
5
Communication Plan Workforce Information Training Programme
Briefing sessions New sickness absence Launched in August to 4 5.3% 5.04%
Global e-mail report format support new policy
3
Staff Bulletin Targeted departmental Coaching to managers 3% Target
Attachment to pay slips reports in “hotspot “areas 2
Poster & leaflet Financial cost of Revised corporate
1
campaign absence reported training programme
0
2008-9 2009-10
Healthy Workplace Programme (Apr – Aug)
Investment in wellbeing initiatives, improved occupational Health support,
development of an annual health check, stress action group and counselling
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11. How we are meeting the challenge
Sickness Absence Project: Aims and Objectives
The purpose of the project is to design and implement a range of robust interventions to arrest
Aim the rise in sickness absence and deliver significant cost and productivity savings to the
organisation
 Achieve a step change in attendance management practice in the Trust
 Improve the capability of the organisation to manage absence on a sustainable basis
 Assure the Board that the organisation is suitably equipped to implement the sickness
Objectives
absence policy goals
 Positively engage the workforce in the required changes to achieve a sustainable
improvement in workplace health
 Deliver labour cost savings in terms of reduced agency spend, overtime payments,
reduction in sickness absence with commensurate improvements in team morale,
productivity and patient care
Project  Project Team Membership:- Paul Jones (Chairman), Amrit Kaur, Karl Hickman, Robert
Team Quick, Darren Robson, Caroline Stringer, Emma Lavery, Andrew Christie, Martin Jackson,
Sally Bladen, Allen Hitchen, Vicky Harrison, Beverley McGeorge, Lynda Cunliffe, Dawn
Brannan, Maria Rowlands
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12. Project Deliverables
Strategy Delivery Plan
Mobilise HR Engage Implement Capture
Team Stakeholders Improvements Benefits
Agreement of policy Joint Statement with Trade Unions Cascade Briefing Sessions Performance Master Class for Managers
in areas of highest absence areas to
Mobilisation of HR Team support improvement
July August September October November December January
Improved absence Formation of Project Team to Benefits Capture: improved
reporting achieve sustainable Communications Campaign patient care & improved
Sickness Review Meetings
for staff exceeding 3% improvement to actively engage people labour coast
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