A NEW sick leave policy has resulted in a dramatic fall in the number of Lancashire police officers retiring through injury and ill-health.

Concern grew after 70 per cent of officers who took their pensions in 1992/93 and two thirds who took them in 1994/95 did so on medical grounds.

Out of 111 retirements in 1994/95, 56 were through ill-health and 14 injury.

New procedures for dealing with officers off sick were introduced in April 1996 in a bid to halt the rise.

And a report today to the police authority's finance and general purposes committee reveals the extent of their success.

Figures for 1996/97 show that, out of 92 retirements, 32 (35 per cent) were due to ill-health and only five (five per cent) injury.

Figures for the current year are expected to be even better.

Police bosses now take a more active approach to the management of long-term absence from the force, which has around 3,200 full-time officers..

More attention is given to ways in which officers can continue to use their skills and experience for the benefit of the force and early retirement is viewed as the last resort.

The pensions bill for the force is expected to top £19 million during 1996/97.

A report to the committee says: "There was an increase in officers retiring due to ill-health between 1990 and 1996 but a sharp decline since April 1996, when revised policies and procedures were introduced."

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