Canterbury health staff stressed and tired

On any given day, more than 400 workers in the Canterbury health system are off work sick.

The past decade has been marked by earthquakes, loss of facilities, constant repairs and rebuilds, unrelenting demand on services, and recent tragedies like the March 15 terrorist attack.

All that has had an impact on Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) staff, who are now taking sick leave at a greater rate than staff at any other health board in the country.

On average, staff were taking seven days of sick leave in 2010. That has had doubled to 14 days in 2018, and the trend continues to increase.

CDHB chief people officer Michael Frampton said while it was hard to compare, Canterbury had gone from having the lowest rate of sick leave of any DHB in 2010 to the highest in 2019. Staff wellbeing was one of the greatest risks the board faced, he said.

‘‘We have no doubt our people are doing it hard and have done it hard for nearly a decade,’’ he said.

‘‘We are profoundly concerned for the wellbeing of our people, because we know they are in the business of putting other people before themselves. That’s what they do.’’

Frampton said on any given day more than 400 staff were off work sick. The CDHB employs more than 11,000, including more than 1000 casuals.

The increase in sick leave had taken place across the CDHB, and was not limited to certain areas.

‘‘We’ve got a workforce who are incredibly committed and they’re tired after nine years of challenges that are unprecedented in any other health system anywhere in the world,’’ Frampton said.

‘‘The health system has been under immense pressure since 2010 when the earthquakes kicked off a series of events that have strained our communities and our infrastructure. People have had increased stress in their personal lives as well as increased work stress.’’

The CDHB is rolling out a new initiative called Leave Care. Leaders and managers are expected to check in on workers, and ensure they are taking breaks.

New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation organiser Danielle Davies said there was high turnover in some areas and unfilled vacancies, placing more pressure on remaining staff.

She believed the CDHB was doing some things well, like the support it provided staff after March 15, but said there needed to be more workers on the floor to help prevent burnout and exhaustion.

‘‘When people are worn down, because they’ve had a full-on shift or because they’re working extra, your actual physiology gets worn down. So you’re more susceptible to viruses and things like that.’’

‘‘We have no doubt our people are doing it hard and have done it hard for nearly a decade.’’ Michael Frampton CDHB chief people officer