Post-Christmas drop in NHS Covid staff absences stalls in parts of England

A post-Christmas drop in Covid-related absences of NHS staff at hospitals in England has stalled across parts of the country, new data shows.

An average of 28,434 NHS staff at hospital trusts in England were ill with coronavirus or having to self-isolate each day in the week to January 30, according to data from NHS England.

This is down 6% on the average of 30,375 the previous week, but still much higher than the 17,836 average absences in the seven days to December 19.

The figures suggest one in 33 (3%) of NHS staff working in acute hospital trusts were off sick or self-isolating due to Covid on average in the week to January 30, based on new NHS Digital monthly workforce data for October for acute trusts, the most recent available.

But the NHS England figures, published on Thursday, also show that while the seven-day average number of Covid staff absences at English hospital trusts had fallen across every region since the week to January 9, there have been increases in the East of England, South East and South West in the most recent week.

The biggest increases were in the South West and eastern England, both up 4%.

In the South West, the seven-day average rose from 2,424 in the week to January 23 to 2,512 in the seven days to Sunday January 30, while in the East of England it was up from 2,474 to 2,560.

This was followed by the South East, up from 3,216 to 3,265, a rise of 2%.

Meanwhile, the biggest drop was in the North West, down 17% from an average of 5,654 in the week to January 23 to 4,687 in the seven days to January 30.

The North East and Yorkshire was down 8%, then London and the Midlands were both down 7%.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton Foundation Trust had the highest proportion of staff off in the week to January 30 based on their October headcount, at 7%.

It was followed by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, both at 6%.

Overall, the seven-day average number of hospital trust staff off for all reasons was down from 72,077 in the week to January 23 to 70,340 in the most recent week.

NHS England national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said: “We still had around 70,000 NHS staff off sick each day last week, as the number of ambulances taking patients to A&E was up again on the previous seven days, making it the busiest week since the start of December.

“Despite this, hardworking staff are doing everything possible to get people home to their loved ones and out of hospital safely, as hundreds more beds were freed up each day compared to the week before – all while delivering as many routine checks and procedures as possible, including vital diagnostic checks, as staff continue to make inroads delivering treatments disrupted by Covid.”