STAFF sickness levels in Jersey’s Health Department “remain a cause of concern” and are almost 15% higher than the same period last year – with wellbeing referrals up 62%.
A report due to be presented at the next meeting of the Health Advisory Board on Thursday also revealed that 28 employees left the service before completing 12 months in post.
This was described as as “an area that will be closely monitored, as early turnover may indicate onboarding challenges or departmental issues”.
The ambulance service’s high sickness rate of 8.4% has been flagged for further review, with long-term stress-related absence highlighted as a particular challenge in this area.
Overall sickness rates in the Health Department are 14.96% higher than the same period last year, according to the report.
This change is thought to reflect both more accurate reporting and a genuine increase in absences. For the first time, the data now includes both short- and long-term absence.
In August alone, coughs, colds and flu accounted for nearly a quarter (24.6%) of all sickness, followed by gastrointestinal problems (14.9%) and anxiety or stress (12.3%).
Over the year to the end of August, long-term absences were most commonly linked to anxiety and stress (158 instances), alongside surgical procedures (62) and injuries or fractures (34).
While stress and anxiety remain the leading cause of long-term absence, the report notes that the overall percentage (12.3%) is significantly lower than the equivalent figures reported by NHS England, which stood at 27.7% and 27.5% in March and April 2025 respectively.
Short-term absence has been dominated by seasonal and acute illnesses, with 1,712 cases of coughs, colds and flu recorded over the year, along with 1,031 cases of gastrointestinal problems, and 701 cases linked to stress or anxiety.
The organisation is also dealing with a sharp rise in staff wellbeing concerns, with referrals for stress support up 62%.
The report said that Health and Care Jersey has appointed a new member of the workforce team to lead on sickness absence management.
