A survey of health care workers has revealed that as many as 85% may stay off work if an influenza pandemic did take hold of the country.
The results of the survey, published in the open access journal BMC Public Health, suggest that levels of absenteeism may be significantly higher than current official estimates and that 'willingness', rather than 'ability', plays the largest role in health care workers' decisions as to whether to go to work or not.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham carried out the survey, in which 1032 healthcare workers responded to questions about the factors that may influence their decisions whether or not to work during an influenza pandemic, and what interventions might be effective in persuading them to work. The research team report that as pandemic influenza is recognised by the Government to be one of the most severe national risks, it is essential that health services are able to manage the major demands that will be placed upon them. Healthcare workers will be at the forefront of the response to a pandemic, and if services are to be provided at sufficient levels, absenteeism from work must be minimized.