HOSPITALS bosses have said their staff could lose their jobs if they fail to meet new sickness policy guidelines.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has revealed it is set to get “tough” by introducing a new policy in a bid to reduce the 96,000 sick days taken by its workers in 2008/9.

Figures released by the trust showed sick days for 2008/9 totalled 95,578, 70 per cent above the target figure of 56,555.

This equates to five per cent of the 6,500 workforce being off at any one time, 25 per cent up on the national average of four per cent, or each member of staff taking two weeks off sick a year.

The trust has spent £4.4m so far in 2009 on paying agency staff to cover vacancies, which bosses said was one of the main reasons why it looks set to end the financial year with a £8m deficit.

Ian Brandwood, the trust's director of human resources, said the trust was currently in the process of negotiating the details of the policy with trade unions.

He said: “I am very confident it strikes the right balance between offering proper support to those who need it but also gives managers some clear guidance on how to deal with those employees who unfortunately aren't at work enough.

“We want to support those who are ill. But those people who fundamentally cannot get to work as much as we would like, we will have to manage out of the organisation.

“That is a tough message but one that we have to follow.”

Speaking at a trust board meeting, Mr Brandwood said that there was “a limit” as to how many sick days the trust could pay for.

Non-executive director Mr Paul Fletcher said: “I've been on the board for three years and sickness absence has always been a problem. It's never been cured.

“We have talked about the level of five per cent but we're coming to the winter when it is expected to go up again.”

Last week health chiefs launched a new 24-hour counselling service, which will cost £40,000 per year and is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the country, to help improve staff wellbeing and save the trust money.

Former hospitals trust chairman Ian Woolley said he welcomed the move but said any absence level rate over five per cent was “ludicrous”.