THE sickness absence rate among staff at Oxfordshire's hospitals hit a record high during lockdown, figures show.

NHS Digital data shows that in April the overall staff sickness and absence rate at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) was six per cent – the highest level since comparable records began in 2013. By comparison, the rate was 3.2 per cent during the same month last year.

It means 21,319 full-time equivalent days of work across all staff groups in the trust were lost, from a total of 355,764 in April.

The figures cover the first full month of lockdown, when people across the country were urged to stay at home to protect the NHS as it came under increased pressure.

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A statement from the trust said; “Staff absence due to sickness has increased across the NHS during the Covid-19 emergency, and OUH are slightly below the national average. Staff sickness reached a peak in April and since then the trend has been downwards.

“It was made clear to staff that if they were not feeling well – or if a member of their household had Covid-19 symptoms - they should self-isolate and not come in to work. This was a vital step in reducing the risk of infection in the workplace."

It added the trust put in place measures to support and protect staff and help them to stay well and care for patients, or to return to work if they had been sick. These included psychological support for those whom the pandemic has caused mental health difficulties, and putting in place the IT infrastructure to enable 'large sections' of staff to work from home.

The trust went on: “OUH instigated the most comprehensive staff covid testing programme in the NHS, which allowed us to identify those members of staff who were most at risk and implement an infection prevention and control plan to limit transmission of the virus.

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"We have also asked managers to complete risk assessment forms for all staff, as well as bespoke guidance for key groups, including those with specific medical conditions and for our BAME staff."

Overall, the national NHS staff sickness rate was 6.2 per cent – the highest for any month on record. Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, the membership organisation for trusts in England, said: “The figures demonstrate just how committed staff have been to taking care of people as well as trusts’ commitment to creating safe environments for their staff and patients in difficult circumstances.”

Nationally, the most reported reason for sickness absence was anxiety, stress, depression or other psychiatric illnesses, at 20.9 per cent.

The second most common reason, chest and respiratory problems, was given for 14.8 per cent of absences.

Ms Deakin said an NHS Providers survey found that 93 per cent of NHS trust leaders are concerned about staff well-being, stress and burnout following the pandemic.