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Press release: NHS Employers and trade unions start staff sickness and injury review

17 Nov 2005

NHS Employers and trade unions have agreed today to undertake a joint review of how staff sickness and injury is managed in the NHS.

The review will look at the existing Ill Health Retirement Benefit and NHS Injury Benefit schemes. It will also explore measures:

• to reduce preventable staff sickness and injury
• to improve occupational health services in the NHS
• to support staff in taking on alternative duties or working part-time if they can no longer carry on with their former duties due to sickness or injury
• to ensure staff who retire from the NHS, are able to leave on the most appropriate benefit

Jeremy Orr, NHS Employers' project manager for the review, said: "The most common causes of ill health retirement are musculo-skeletal injury and mental health problems such as stress and depression. Very often people want to continue working and we are keen to ensure they are able to stay in the NHS. However, we know that they will often need extra support.

"We need to look at the national arrangements for ill health as part of the wider NHS Pension Review. But we wanted to take the opportunity to take a holistic approach to managing staff sickness and injury. This will include looking at how it can prevented in the first place, but also how staff can be supported to remain in work - perhaps by taking on a different role or by working part-time."

Josie Irwin, Head of Employment Relations at the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Staff organisations welcome the holistic approach for this review.  Preventing sickness, improving occupational health services and supporting staff to continue working in a different way if unable to carry on in their substantive role are positive measures to manage and reduce absence.

"This review is particularly timely given findings from the NHS Staff Attitude Survey 2004 revealed that 44 per cent of NHS staff had suffered some injury or illness as a result of problems at work to do with moving and handling, needlestick and sharps injuries or exposure to dangerous substances for example."

Notes for editors

1. Ill Health Retirement Benefit is part of the NHS Pension Scheme. Under the NHS Pension Scheme, staff receive more pension, the more years of service they have in the NHS. If they retire on ill health, they are entitled to additional years of service (eg their years of service is doubled if they have worked in the NHS for between five and10 years, and increased to 20 years if they have worked for more than 10 years or increased by 6.66 years, whichever is greater).
2. The NHS Injury Benefit Scheme exists to compensate staff who are injured while on duty. Staff can receive up to 85 per cent of their salary every year for the rest of their lives. On their death, their next of kin can receive up to 45 per cent of the salary for the rest of their lives.
3. It is possible for staff to receive money under both Ill Health Retirement Benefit and the NHS Injury Benefit Schemes at the same time.NHS Employers, the employers' organisation for the NHS in England, was launched on 1 November 2004. Its work programme includes pay negotiations, health and safety, equality and diversity, recruitment and retention, the NHS Pension Scheme review, European and UK employment practice, safer recruitment and doctor disciplinary. It also delivers the NHS Careers service.
4. NHS Employers is part of the NHS Confederation but has its own director, policy board and assembly.
5. Further information on NHS Employers is available on our website.

Contact details

The press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers.

If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:

• Gemma Jeffcoate
  0207 074 3308 or gemma.jeffcoate@nhsemployers.org  
• Emma Stafford
  0207 074 3307 or emma.stafford@nhsemployers.org  

For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726.

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