5,000 HSE staff out sick on any given day

MORE than 5,000 HSE staff are out sick every day, with management saying the absenteeism rate is “too high”.

Amid claims that it was too easy for workers in the public service to phone in sick, it has emerged the number of average days lost in the health service is twice that of the private sector.

The HSE, which employs more than 100,000 people nationally, said that on any one day 5% of staff are off sick. This compares to 2.5% in the private sector.