Staff injuries cost health board £350,000

HEALTH chiefs in Lothian have paid out more than £350,000 over the past five years to employees injured at work.

Figures from NHS Lothian show that a range of claims have been made since 2004 from burns and scalds to injuries from needlesticks.

The health board refused to reveal the exact nature of the compensation paid, saying it may identify the individuals involved.

The details released under Freedom of Information requests show there have been 96 successful cases, paying out on average around £3,500.

There are also 42 ongoing investigations within the health board, while 44 cases were turned down.

Slips, trips and falls were the most expensive problems for health chiefs, with £178,000 paid out in the last five years, while falls from height and manual handling also figured prominently among compensation pay-outs.

Claims by staff relating to violence totalled only £3500, and £10,000 was paid out to those injured by chemical hazards.