Case Study

nuffield
Results
  • - Sickness absence reduced by 35%

  • - Increase in the completion rates for Return to Work (RTW) interviews

  • - Real-time analysis and bespoke reports

  • - Improved crisis management capabilities
What is 35% worth?
2600 fewer days lost to sickness
Improvement in RTW
Nufield NHS Trust RTW chart
Incomplete data was not only a huge problem for Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust in combating staff absence, it also made it almost impossible to see where there might be areas for improvement. Until, that is, it out sourced its absence management function to FirstCare. On 1 February 2007, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust handed sickness absence reporting to FirstCare, and began acquiring the reliable, real time, verified data which is FirstCare’s hallmark. Determining the level of sickness absence before the advent of FirstCare was difficult; but conservative estimates put the level of improvement in the year following the appointment of FirstCare at 20%.

By 1 February 2008, attendance had improved; but more importantly, it was possible to document an accurate picture of staff absence over a complete twelve month period, forming a benchmark for performance. Another year on from that, it was particularly rewarding, in February 2009, to be able to measure a further, fully validated improvement of 15%. Based, as this is, on two full years of attendance management data, it is clear that the overall improvement since outsourcing absence management to FirstCare is in the region of 35%.


In a busy NHS Trust, attendance at work is critical to patient care and, on strict budgets, an absence from work can put added stresses on colleagues, as well as patients and their families. A 35% reduction in absence represents significant cost savings to the Trust in terms of its reliance on agency and temporary staff, and a rise in patient care standards.


Under its previous system, the Trust was hindered by little or no data on causes or patterns of staff

absence. Working with FirstCare, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre now has in place a new system which records accurate information and allows it to spot trends in absence.


A further key to the improvement, and central to FirstCare’s methodology, is an increase in the completion rates for Return to Work (RTW) interviews. FirstCare automatically prompts line managers to complete RTW interviews as one of the key tools in reducing absence. An automatic system tracks manager compliance of these interviews, allowing HR teams to identify managers who may need more training in this area.


A skillfully conducted RTW interview allows managers to spot the potential for a recurring problem, as opposed to a closed episode of absence. It will also help to pinpoint any underlying causes that were not reported when the episode started. It may even shed light on operational problems which could be successfully addressed.

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