Sick days cost health board £573,000 in 2010-11

Nearly 8,000 working days were lost through staff sickness at NHS Orkney during 2010-2011.

That cost the health board nearly £573,000 in sick pay alone — however, the total bill is likely to have been higher as the NHS was not able to specifically identify the instances where supply and bank staff were brought in to cover.

Of those on sick leave, the number who gave a “stress-related” illness as the reason totalled 108 — a significant leap from 36 the previous year, and 82 in 2008-2009.