MPS sickness

Report: 09
Date: 1 November 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an analysis of the sickness data currently available and an update on the paper submitted on 6 September 2001. The report also sets out: 

• the process for the recording and collation of sickness data; 
• identifies the owner of the corporate sickness data; 
• identifies the type and range of data to be made available for MPS analysis on a monthly basis; 
• provides proposals for future information provision to the MPA.

A. Recommendations

That:

1. Members note the contents of this report and the further analysis to be undertake; and
2. Members confirm the level and frequency of information to be provided.

B. Supporting information

Background information

1. Primary responsibility for the co-ordination of sickness data, quality of OH intervention and ensuring compliance with the Attendance Management Policy for the MPS rests with the Assistant Commissioner, Human Resources. Day to day responsibility for the reactive and proactive activity in addressing sickness issues is delegated to the Business Director, Occupational Health. This is a new dimension to the Business Director's role and is being introduced to ensure co-ordination of the management of sickness at a local level with support and advice given by Occupational Health. The responsibility for managing the attendance of staff will remain with local line managers.

2. Historically, the Performance Information Bureau (PIB) has collected sickness data from individual business units. PIB collects, analyses and disseminates information on behalf of the MPS and has corporate ownership of data it collects.

3. In order to provide a comprehensive and cohesive response to this key area of delivery, responsibility for the validity and integrity of the sickness data will in future sit with Assistant Commissioner, Human Resources. PIB will nonetheless continue to be the vehicle for the collection and processing of data supplied to it by individual business groups. PIB sits within the Policy, Review and Standards business group headed by AC Ghaffur. As it does not form part of the Human Resources structure, it will be necessary to liaise closely with PIB staff.

Identification of sickness data currently collected by PIB

4. Headline information on monthly sickness figures is published on the MPS Intranet site. Copies of the August data are attached at Appendix 1. Information for civil staff is inclusive of traffic wardens.

Future information collection and monitoring arrangements

5. It is recognised that the type and range of sickness data collected needs to be extended to provide a better understanding of the scope of sickness in the MPS to enable a more focused approach to be taken with sickness issues. This will also serve to provide for a wider range of potential interventions, both by Occupational Health staff and by local management.

6. It is equally important that all corporate sickness information is derived from one source to avoid errors of interpretation. In future all sickness information will be provided direct by PIB using a standard template to ensure consistency and common understanding of the information provided.

7. Shown in Appendix 2 is the data requirement for future sickness monitoring. It is anticipated that this information will be available from November 2001, which will show information for September 2001.

8. The data requirement for headline and detailed reporting has been identified following consultation between MPS representatives and Alan Johnson, Head of Human Resources and Johanna Gillians, Senior Analyst from the MPA. Where the information is not presently sought from boroughs/business groups, mechanisms will be put in place to obtain it. Some information shown at Appendix 2 i.e. recuperative and restricted duties is not currently collected centrally by PIB. It will be necessary to determine the most appropriate way to achieve this. Existing IT system functionality may be a determining factor and it may be necessary to await the full rollout of PRISM. Other more timely options will nonetheless be explored.

Timing and structure of reports

9. Headline information on monthly sickness data and trends will continue to be provided to every meeting of the MPA Human Resources Committee through the Personnel Management Information Report. The proposed format for the package is set out at Appendix 3 and incorporates data for August 2001. Monthly reports will be supported by detailed six-monthly reports in January 2002 and July 2002 to coincide with a HR Committee meeting and will incorporate an analysis of the data and an impact statement of interventions taken, together with supporting data to evidence success.

Update on current month (August) information and revision of previously reported information

10. Information for the month of August is attached at Appendix 1. Also attached at Appendix 4 is a summary of sickness since April 2001. This incorporates revised data following identification of a database problem within PIB, which had the effect of producing inflated sickness rates. The corrected figures now show that sickness rates across the three categories of police, civil staff and traffic wardens are reducing.

Police

11. The trend for police officers indicates that the target of 9 days per officer per year will be met by March 2002.

Civil Staff

12. Progress has been made with civil staff sickness but further intervention will be necessary to achieve the target of 10 days by March 2002. Specific interventions will be developed with local managers working closely with OH.

Traffic Wardens

13. The significant work undertaken by OH and the traffic warden service team as reported to the Human Resource Committee in April 2001 has impacted positively on traffic warden sickness, resulting in the 20-day target being achieved in June 2001. On-going intervention has continued to reduce sickness further.

14. Previous anomalies between figures provided centrally by PIB and locally by traffic warden managers are being addressed and initial findings indicate that local managers are adopting different counting conventions.

Update on report dated 6 September 2001

Musculoskeletal Injuries (item 7 of HR/01/67)
15. A Spend-to-Save economic benefit analysis for the period April 2000 to March 2001 has been undertaken. The figures indicate that a cash outlay of £61,780 has produced opportunity cost savings of approx. £1.2m. This was achieved through a reduction in waiting times for officers to receive NHS assessment and ultimately a quicker return to full operational duties than would otherwise be the case. The extension of the scheme to incorporate knee joint surgery in April 2001 has realised further opportunity cost savings of £212,000 to date.

Traffic Warden sickness (item 18 of HR/01/67)

16. The impact of the initiative has been to reduce traffic warden sickness to 19.07 days, based on August data. The process of focusing attention on high sickness units will be repeated over the coming months within the same business group, but this time concentrating attention on traffic officers. This work is being undertaken at the request of the Operations Unit Management Team and demonstrates a positive partnership approach to sickness management.

New initiatives not previously reported on

17. The Occupational Health Directorate's internal monthly management report has been used to identify boroughs with disproportionate numbers of staff on medium to long term recuperative duty (as recorded by Occupational Health Advisors and Occupational Health Practice Nurses – OHAs/OHPNs). Three boroughs in particular were targeted and advice and guidance offered to local management teams.

18. At a corporate level, using information provided by OHAs/OHPNs, recuperative duty figures have been reduced by 13% between January and August 2001. This has been brought about by:

• a re-emphasis on minimum standards for recuperative duties,
• a focus on regular recuperative clinics for each business group,
• customer feedback on the quality of recuperative clinics and the benefits derived, and
• re-focusing of local management teams as the primary drivers for determining the extent and suitability of recuperative duties given to officers.

20. This latter element is designed to make the recuperative duties more responsive to local business needs by emphasising the focus of decisions about the extent and duration of recuperative duties to local managers, albeit supported in their decisions by OH practitioners.

21. A similar exercise is currently being piloted in Specialist Operations involving the Medical Officer responsible for that business group. This initiative commenced in June 2001 and will be reviewed in November 2001.

Changes to Regulation 46 with effect from 5 September 2001

22. Approval has been given by Management Board which will provide Assistant Commissioners with greater discretion to extend full or half-pay to police officers. This will be closely monitored to see what impact, if any, it has on sickness absence.

Conclusion

23. It is anticipated that the shift of responsibility for the integrity of sickness data will provide a fresh impetus to monitoring and managing sickness levels. With the benefit of better quality data, it should be possible for OH to work more collaboratively with local managers to reduce sickness absence, particularly long-term absences (over 28 days) and ensure that all staff are supported back to work safely.

24. It should be noted that mechanisms for moving towards achievement of the new process would need to be fine-tuned. Success will, in part, be a result of all levels of management in the organisation understanding their role and contribution to effective management of sickness.

25. Dedicated resources will be required to undertake the quality assurance role and in addition, the proposed earlier intervention by OH is likely to produce increased demand for OH services focused on local need. Careful monitoring of demand will be necessary to ensure resources are targeted to maximise benefit.

C. Financial implications

It is not possible at present to identify the financial implications for all the activities contained in this report. The Directorate of OH comprises eight functional areas covering a comprehensive range of services including doctor/consultant surgeries; physical training; rehabilitation and physiotherapy services; multi-disciplined, geographically based teams providing welfare and nursing services; recruit medicals; hearing conservation; health and safety services and first aid training.

Current budgeted costs for Occupational Health total £4,948,000, which provides a per capita cost of approximately £134 for each MPS employee per annum.

A cost -centre structure is being developed that will capture costs across each of the eight functional areas. Staff costs have been allocated and will be visible with effect from November (backdated to April). The cost-centre structure will be refined to provide greater visibility of costs across functional and activity areas.

D. Background papers

Report 7 to the Human Resources Committee, 19 April 2001
Report 5 to the Human Resources Committee, 6 September 2001.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Linda Van den Hende.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1

August 2001
police sickness data - headlines

Business group - central

Business group - north

Business group - south

Business group - DCC/Personnel/Specialist Ops

August 2001
MPS police sickness breakdown

Data produced by PIB1 - Wednesday 03 October 2001

Sickness by gender

Sickness by certification

Sickness by rank

Sickness by category

August 2001
civil staff sickness data - headlines

Business group - central

Business group - north

Business group - south

Business group - DCC/Resources/Internal Audit/Personnel/Specialist Ops

August 2001
MPS civil staff sickness breakdown

Data produced by PIB1 - Wednesday 03 October 2001

Sickness by gender

Sickness by certification

Sickness by rank

Sickness by category

Appendix 2: Data required for future sickness monitoring

1. The template will include data as follows: -

• Police officers
• Civil Staff (excluding Traffic Wardens)
• Traffic Wardens

2. Information to distinguish between short, medium and long term, i.e.:

• 7 days or less
• 7 to 27 days
• 28 days plus. 

3. Recorded reasons for sickness to be shown within agreed medical categories and broken down by gender
4. Information to be shown broken-down to borough/business group and broken down by gender
5. Sickness rates to be shown as:

• Actual days lost per month, per borough/business unit, together with rolling 12-month period and average over previous 12-month period. To include year-on-year figures.
• Days lost per officer, per borough/business unit, together with rolling 12-month period and average over previous 12-month period. To include year-on-year figures. 

6. Number of officers on recuperative duties broken down into:

• 0 - 3 months
• 4 - 6 months
• 7 - 12 months
• 12 months plus

7. Number of officers on restricted duties to be recorded

Appendix 3: Proposed format for monthly sickness data

Appendix 4: Summary of sickness since April 2001

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