Lung disease is a major cause of time off in NI

Northern Ireland has one of the worst figures for days lost due to lung disease, according to a survey by the British Lung Foundation.

While workers in the South West took the least time off, an average of 8.5 days a year this compared to an average of 19 days a year in Northern Ireland.

In the UK, lung disease, which is the biggest killer, leads to over 25 million working days lost each year.

The survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres and based on over 1,200 interviews with working people who took time off work during 2000, shows that a third of all time off work was caused by lung-related illness. Just over 67 per cent of respondents reported lung-related symptoms, with on average number 13.5 days taken off.

According to the Chief Executive of the British Ling Foundation, Dame Helena Shovelton working days lost to lung disease is actually costing UK businesses, "nearly £1.5 billion a year and puts an enormous strain on GP services."

Dame Helena added: "The Government cannot afford to ignore the impact that lung disease has on productivity and on the public purse. We have to put more resources into preventing and treating lung diseases. Lung disease has so often been the poor relation in terms of health spending- and we are now paying the price."

Coughing was the most widely- suffered condition amongst people who took time off. One in four had taken time off suffering from flu, with 16 per cent of those having more than two days off. However, only 11 per cent of those polled had received a flu vaccination and only 20 per cent of workers aged 55 to 64 had received a flu vaccination.

The survey also highlighted regional and gender differences. Amongst those who had taken time off, women took on average more time off than men - 16 days off compared with 12.5.

Unsurprisingly, 25-34 year-olds take less time off than 55-64 year-olds, around 11 per cent compared to 19 per cent.

Public and service sector workers were found to take more time off than manual and construction workers, with nurses taking the least amount of time off.

(CG/SP)