High disability claims among AHS staffers a major concern
Posted Mar 6, 2013 7:31 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The absenteeism rate among those who work in the provincial health care system is running at almost three times greater than those in other professions, including trucking and oilfield services.
An exclusive report published by The Calgary Sun shows Alberta Health Services’ claims for lost time ran at a rate of 3.18 per 100 workers, compared to the provincial average of 1.19.
AHS Chairman Stephen Lockwood says close to 1,000 of his employees right now are on long-term disability, with a few hundred more collecting workers compensation.
Sixty-six per cent of the injuries are described as strains or sprains, often a result of moving patients in and out of beds.
Lockwood suggests there is a lack of leadership, and along with a review of the root causes of absenteeism, efforts to improve the safety culture within the healthcare system will be stepped up.
