SICKNESS levels of staff in the majority of NHS organisations across the Bradford district are on the increase, new figures have revealed.

A nursing union has attributed the increase to greater pressures being placed on staff, with added stress making them "unwell".

According to data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre, the average sickness absence rate for organisations across Yorkshire and the Humber was 4.56 per cent in the year to the end of March, up from 4.36 per cent in 2013/14.

The national average for 2014/15 was 4.25 per cent, up from 4.06 per cent.

At Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the sickness rate increased from 4.94 per cent to 5.32 per cent, equating to 96,876 days lost to illness from a total of 1,819,800.

A spokesman said the NHS had experienced "unprecedented pressures" during 2014/15, reflected by an increase in sickness absence rates across the whole or the organisation, particularly in acute trusts.

"Compared to some NHS trusts we have higher than average levels of long term sickness rates," said the spokesman.

"This is partly due to an ageing workforce in some areas of the organisation, and increased use of electronic systems to capture absence information.

"Our robust approach to managing sickness absence includes a range of ongoing initiatives, such as new investment in Health and Wellbeing services.

"Reducing the levels of absence and looking after the wellbeing of our staff will continue to be a high priority."

For the Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, 36,684 days were lost from 824,444, an increase in the sickness rate from 3.76 per cent to 4.45 per cent.

Nick Parker, head of human resources for the Trust, said there had been an increase in short-term absence related to flu, respiratory illnesses, and gastro-intestinal type illness, particularly among clinical staff.

"We are concerned that sickness levels have increased slightly over the past year, as the health and wellbeing of our staff is important to us," he said.

"If staff are unwell, we would not want them to be at work, as patient care and safety are paramount.

"The HR team is launching a new wellness programme which focuses on eating healthily, exercising well, and mental wellbeing.

"They are also piloting employee health initiatives to support staff with musculo-skeletal health issues, and stress and during the early stages of absence."

The sickness rate for staff at the Bradford City and District Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) rose from 2.54 per cent to 3.5 per cent, with 1,522 days lost from a possible 43,444.

Helen Hirst, chief officer of NHS Bradford Districts CCG, said sickness levels were monitored closely, with staff referred to its occupational health service if required.

"The health and wellbeing of our staff is very important to us, and we aim to be an organisation where people want to work and feel supported in their roles, and this is reflected in our lower than average sickness figures."

The sickness rate for staff at Bradford District Care Trust showed a decrease from 2013/14 to 2014/15, down from 5.53 per cent to 5.17 per cent, with 45,223 days lost out of 875,013.

Fiona Sherburn, deputy director of human resources and organisation development, said the Trust had recently been highlighted nationally by the NHS as an exemplar site for its work on staff health and wellbeing.

"We are really encouraged by our progress, and our own internal reporting suggests our figures are 4.2 per cent for the month end in June," she said.

"We continue to work with unions and managers to make certain that everyone fully understands the need to drive down absence rates and increase health and wellbeing.

"We don’t just want staff to be ‘showing up’ for work, we want them to feel supported and continue providing care and services that are of a high quality."

The highest rate across Yorkshire and the Humber was staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, where 98,216 days were lost from a total of 1,516,500, a rise from 5.87 per cent to 6.48 per cent.

Ian Brandwood, executive director of people and engagement at the Trust, said ambulance services tended to have higher levels of sickness than other NHS organisations.

"Our frontline staff carry out demanding physical roles which involve a significant element of moving and handling patients, often in difficult conditions," he said.

"We have effective measures in place to support the health and wellbeing of our staff, and we are working hard to reduce sickness levels at the Trust.

"During the first quarter of 2015/16, sickness rates decreased to 5.5 per cent and work is on-going to continue this downward trend."

Glenn Turp, regional director for the Royal College of Nursing in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "Nursing is one of the greatest and most rewarding professions there is, yet too often staff are working under too much pressure. "Cuts to services at a time when demand for the health service is increasing to unprecedented levels mean staff cannot always deliver the care they want to, and are under so much stress which is making them unwell.

"Staff sickness affects the NHS and patients alike.

"Healthier, happier staff are better able to provide the best possible care to patients."