Sickness rife among Bay health workers

An alarming number of Bay of Plenty hospital workers are getting sick and quitting because they are disillusioned with their jobs.

The district health board has the highest sick-leave rate in the country and one of the highest rates of staff turnover.

A report has revealed that nearly one in five staff have been leaving, complaining of a lack of career development and remuneration, frustration with managers and a lack of resources.

A Ministry of Health report on hospital performances revealed staff in the Bay of Plenty were calling in sick because of physical and mental health issues - and it cost the board $700,000 in the 2002-03 financial year.

At a board meeting this week, member David Stewart said: "It's not just the turnover, it's the sickness side of things ... it indicates people are not happy. It needs very proactive action to move these figures down," he said.

Health chiefs have put together a 20-point action plan including developing career pathways and considering increased remuneration.

The ministry report for the quarter ending last September 30, which compares the country's hospitals, found the Bay of Plenty board had the highest sick leave rate for most of last year. Sick leave for the 2500 staff averaged 3.7 per cent over the past two years.

In 2001 the board had a turnover rate of 20 per cent. That dropped to 17.43 in 2002 and then rose slightly to 17.82 per cent last year. From last March to the end of February a total of 300 staff left.

Occupational health nurse Gaylene Stevenson said work in hospitals was demanding, with patients requiring intensive and technical care.

"Nurses have heavy workloads. People are often a lot sicker and recovering from more technical operations than years ago and they require more care."

Moving on

Health board staff turnover rates last year

Northland: 19.4 per cent.

Bay of Plenty: 17.8 per cent.

Waitemata: 14.7 per cent.

Hawkes Bay: 12.4.per cent.

Turnover throughout public service last year for all New Zealand: 18 per cent.

- NZPA