Healthy workplace indicators: costing reasons for sickness absence within the UK National Health Service

Sandwell Healthcare NHS Trust has been developing a tool for monitoring the reasons and costs of long-term sick leave (> 7 days). The data obtained fr om this process has been used to modify the type of occupational health and safety services provided for the Trust. Adoption of more standardized tool s of this nature throughout the National Health Service (NHS) would help tr usts to compare, and where appropriate enhance, the services provided by oc cupational health. Musculo-skeletal and mental health problems. account for the greatest costs arising from long-term sickness absence. It may therefo re be prudent for NHS employers and their occupational health services to t arget their efforts on these particular problems.