HC Deb 09 February 2001 vol 362 cc717-8W
Mr.Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the sickness levels are in the ambulance service in(a) the UK, (b) Gloucestershire and (c) all shire counties; and if he will make a statement. [149677]

Ms Stuart

The average sickness absence rate for staff directly employed by national health service ambulance trusts in 1999 was 6.6 per cent. Figures for each individual NHS ambulance trust are shown in the table. We have set national improvement targets for health authorities and NHS trusts to reduce sickness absence rates by 20 per cent. by 2001 and 30 per cent. by 2003.

Sickness absence rates 1999
NHS Ambulance trust name Percentage
Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7.6
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust 5.5
Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6.6
Dorset Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6.9
East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust 8.2
East Midlands Ambulance NHS Trust 10.0
Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 4.3
Gloucestershire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6.9
Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6.0
Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7.8
Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 5.9
Kent Ambulance NHS Trust 7.0
Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 5.0
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7.8
Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6.6
North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6.7
Oxfordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 3.6
Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust 3.3
South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust 8.0
Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7.4
Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7.0
Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7.0
The Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust 5.5
Warwickshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7.3
West Country Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6.4
West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 5.8
West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS
Sickness absence rates 1999
NHS Ambulance trust name Percentage
Trust 3.1
Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 4.1
England 6.6

Note:

Excludes Lincolnshire Ambulance and Health Transport Service and Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS trusts