Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 4 November 2016 to Question 50657, if his Department will collect centrally information on the cost of staff sickness to the NHS due to (a) hip arthroscopy and (b) other medical treatments not being provided by clinical commissioning groups.

It is not the role of the Department to collect data on the cost of sickness absence to the National Health Service due to hip arthroscopy and other medical treatments not being provided by clinical commissioning groups.

The Department keeps NHS data collection requirements to a minimum, enabling trusts to concentrate their resources on improving the health and wellbeing of their staff and patients.

Trusts, which are responsible for managing their staff sickness absence costs, should maintain comprehensive sickness absence records and, as indicated in my answer of 4 November to Question 50657, from this information, tailor the health and wellbeing support they provide their workforce to meet staff needs and help keep them at work.