Staff Absence Long Covid - FOI Response Register

1. Please provide me with the number of a) nurses, b) midwives and c) doctors who, since 2020, have had to take a period of absence due to having long Covid.

In relation to the <5 answers above, providing more detail would carry a high risk that individual staff members can be identified. In accordance with FOISA s 16(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it holds the information requested but that it is exempt from disclosure under FOISA s 38(1)(b) as read with s 38 (2A) as the information constitutes personal data and disclosure would breach the confidentiality of the data subjects.

In providing this please note that absence reasons are nationally defined. Absence due to Covid was recorded as Special Leave and, from December 2020, an additional reason to denote Long Covid became available for use. For some absences the line manager has amended the absence reason to denote Long Covid for periods prior to December 2020. In line with SG guidance, any staff absence from 1 September 2022 with Covid related symptoms was treated in line with all other sickness absences. Therefore from September 2022 absences due to long Covid were then recorded as “sick leave – Covid”. In providing figures for Q1 and Q2 any “sick leave – Covid” absence in excess of 28 days has been included, noting the absence reason may not specifically be long Covid, as well as Special Leave Long Covid absences.  

2. Please provide me with the longest numbers of days taken

303 days