• NHS England and NHS Improvement have published this month's staff sickness absence figures.
• There were 56,647 total staff absences (as of 7 April), down from 20.5% from the previous month.
• Compared to the peak on 14 January, there are now 47.6% fewer staff absences and 77.1% fewer COVID-19 absences.

Responding to the latest staff sickness absence figures, published by NHS England and NHS Improvement, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"While there are still currently almost 60,000 staff absent from work, we are pleased to see that the number of absences due to sickness or self-isolation has continued to fall since the peak on 14 January.

"We should acknowledge the contribution regular testing and the vaccination programme has made to reducing absences, both through staff receiving the jab and therefore having more immunity, and through reduced COVID-19 patients in hospital leading to fewer nosocomial transmissions.

"Trusts are working closely with local partners to fill immediate workforce gaps, and to support the health and wellbeing of staff who are able to work.

"In the long term, we must see a fully costed and funded national workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right levels of staff to build flexibility into the system. This will make it far easier to cover sickness absences, as well as enabling staff to have more breaks in their work day, a manageable workload and a better work life balance."