BOMB TRAUMA UNCERTAINTY, ARE HUGE BLOW TO TRUST STAFF
Bomb trauma, uncertainty are huge blow to Trust staff
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
AS the legacy of the Omagh bomb continues to haunt hundreds of households in Omagh and further afield, the traumatic impact of the 1998 event among staff of the Sperrin Lakeland Trust is still being felt.
In a recent survey regarding health conditions which lead to absences from work, depression was identified as the most common cause.
In the report to the Clinical and Social Care Governance Committee last week it was noted that, "First-time attendance by staff with post-traumatic stress disorder occurred throughout 2000, although at a much reduced rate in comparison with 1998 and 1999."
The report also read, "It would be the personal opinion of the consultant in Occupational Health (as of October 2001) that at least 80 cases of severe PTSD, 20 cases of severe depression and probably in the order of three marital breakdowns occurred as a direct consequence of the bombing in 1998."
It was also observed that the amount of lost production as a result of the bomb was likely to be significant for the year 2000.
The health and safety report acknowledged that there was much scientific emphasis on the workplace as a significant cause of'stress'.
However, poor morale among staff, absence and reduced productivity are all more likely consequences of the continuing uncertainty surrounding the role and placement of acute care hospitals in the South West, according to the report.
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
AS the legacy of the Omagh bomb continues to haunt hundreds of households in Omagh and further afield, the traumatic impact of the 1998 event among staff of the Sperrin Lakeland Trust is still being felt.
In a recent survey regarding health conditions which lead to absences from work, depression was identified as the most common cause.
In the report to the Clinical and Social Care Governance Committee last week it was noted that, "First-time attendance by staff with post-traumatic stress disorder occurred throughout 2000, although at a much reduced rate in comparison with 1998 and 1999."
The report also read, "It would be the personal opinion of the consultant in Occupational Health (as of October 2001) that at least 80 cases of severe PTSD, 20 cases of severe depression and probably in the order of three marital breakdowns occurred as a direct consequence of the bombing in 1998."
It was also observed that the amount of lost production as a result of the bomb was likely to be significant for the year 2000.
The health and safety report acknowledged that there was much scientific emphasis on the workplace as a significant cause of'stress'.
However, poor morale among staff, absence and reduced productivity are all more likely consequences of the continuing uncertainty surrounding the role and placement of acute care hospitals in the South West, according to the report.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0864
Published Date: 29-Nov-01
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