Evaluating Self Care in an English hospital

Abstract

This is the presentation of results from a small scale evaluation of a programme in an English hospital designed to improve staff welfare and reduce sickness absence. The results suggest some success in reducing sickness (measured by 12 months pre with 12 months post attendance) where participants attended follow up sessions. However individuals identified as suitable for the programme who did not actually attend improved their sickness record by a comparable rate to those attending. While the programme appears to have some value, the hospital had no effective strategy for dealing with the biggest cause of sickness - gastrointestinal illness. The study suggests further reductions in sickness rates are dependent upon a multi-faceted approach using data the hospital routinely collects as the basis for effective actions.