Sickness Outness Analysis

The management of health, safety and welfare issues for NHS staff

New edition, 2005

A part of the NHS Confederation working on behalf of the

NHS Employers

Contents
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Introduction Main issues highlighted by the National Audit Office report Health assessment The Occupational Health Smart Card Managing sickness absence Managing risk The process of risk assessment Slips, trips and falls Manual handling The use of contractors and sub-contractors Dangerous substances in the workplace Alcohol and
• Over 80 per cent of ill-health retirements from the ambulance service are related to back injuries and MSDs. • The Ambulance Services Association Health, Safety and Risk Management Committee (which includes representatives from Department of Health and HSE) is working on a national policy for manual handling and lifting. • There are some good examples of work by ambulance trusts that has been done to reduce the risks of MSDs and back injuries. • Some trusts are now working on the development of policies for rehabilitating front-line staff back into work (For example, East Anglia using external physiotherapy and getting paramedics back to work in four weeks, where previously it would have taken six months or they might never have returned to the same
This guidance also highlights the need for a more consistent approach to managing risk and improving incident reporting. NAO recommendation b) ensure that the new clinical accident reporting system being developed by the National Patient Safety Agency and the decision to transfer responsibility for reducing violence and aggression to the new Counter Fraud and Security Management Service do not undermine progress in developing integrated risk management systems Department of Health response We will work closely with the National Patient Safety Agency to ensure that systems introduced for both patient and staff safety are compatible with, and feed into, integrated risk management systems. We will work closely with the new NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service to ensure this work is transferred smoothly and that its development is compatible with integrated risk management systems. Reducing violence against NHS staff will remain part of the Improving Working Lives strategy and the Department is currently developing the criteria for accrediting NHS organisations to the Practice Plus level of the Standard. NAO recommendation c) use the opportunity presented by the new performance monitoring arrangements under Shifting the Balance of Power, to encourage the new strategic health authorities and workforce development confederations to work with NHS