Trust has best sickness absence rates

In the three quarters for which sickness rates were available in 2010 and 2011 the Western Trust had lower rates than the local health service average.

For April - September 2010 the NI average was 5.38 per cent but in the Western Trust it was 4.94 per cent. For October - April 2010/11 the NI average was 5.75 per cent but in the Western Trust it was just 5.01 per cent.

And for April - September 2011 the NI average was 5.17 per cent but in the Western Trust it was just 4.65 per cent.

In the latter two quarters the Western Trust had the lowest rate in Northern Ireland.

Health Minister Edwin Poots explained: “The Department’s Human Resources Directorate monitors sickness absence levels across all HSC Trusts on a biannual basis.”

He added: “There is no memorandum of understanding between my Department and the Trade Unions regarding an agreed rate of sickness absence. A target of 5.2 per cent for Trust-level average sickness absence was set in Priorities for Action 2010/2011, to be achieved by the end of March 2011.

“Data for the monitoring period October 11 to March 12 is currently being compiled.”