RTW Matters has extracted the data from the last five RTW Monitor reports and analysed the information on a jurisdictional basis.  As one of a series of publications covering the various jurisdictions, this review analyses New South Wales results.  Our analysis has sought to highlight trends and comparison between the jurisdictions.

Here is the Executive Summary of NSW results.  Click on the icon below for the full results.

Return to work results

Over the last 12 months the RTW rates in NSW have partially bounced back from the financial downturn of 2008-09. However the overall trend remains downward.

The durable RTW rate, or measure of sustained RTW, was 74% in 2009-10.  It has increased from 12 months ago, but remains lower than the rate in 2007-08.

 In 2009-10 the RTW rate in NSW was 85%. This is still lower than the rate of 86% two years ago.

The length of time the injured worker was back at work in a durable RTW was down to just over 130 days in 2009-10.  This means the employee is returning to work later.  This figure has been steadily decreasing in NSW over the last four years, with the average employee returning to work three weeks later when compared to four years ago.

According to information provided by the jurisdiction, claims costs have increased from $10 000 in 2005-06 to just over $15 000 in 2009-10.

The drop in RTW rates is consistent with a higher proportion of workers still receiving compensation payments at the time of the interview. This has increased from 18% in 2005-06 to 27% in 2009-10, with a sharp increase over the last 12 months.
 

RTW influences

NSW workers are more likely than the average Australian worker to have a RTW plan developed.  The proportion who receive a RTW plan is now over 60% in NSW, and has been increasing over the last four years.

However a lower proportion of employees indicate they have been involved with the development of the plan, and the proportion of employees who report they have been given assistance to follow the plan has been trending down since 2005-06. The proportion of employees who report they were given assistance dropped from 58% to 53% over the last 12 months.

Just over 30% of NSW workers can identify a person who made RTW harder, which is higher than the national rate.  This has been steadily increasing over the last four years. The employer and insurer were identified as more likely to make RTW harder, when compared to the national average.

NSW workers were very close to the Australian average when it came to perceptions pertaining to workplace culture and their employers policies regarding OH&S and RTW.

Over the last two years, NSW workers have reported the same level of difficulty in finding the information they need to make a claim.

Nearly 70% injured NSW workers not working at the time of interview cite injury related reasons for not working.

Rating of customer services

Just over 50% of NSW workers interviewed had contact with their insurer in the last three months, a figure higher than the national average and steadily increasing over the last five years.

On all insurer performance measures NSW workers rated their insurer lower than the national average, with a clear drop in the average service rating for insurer type services over the last 12 months.

Rehabilitation services

NSW workers were less likely than the national average to have an external rehabilitation provider involved in their case, when compared to the national average.

When rehab services were provided, the average rehabilitation costs was approximately $1000 above the national average.

Previous claim experience

Since 2006-07 there has been a decline in the proportion of NSW workers who had a previous claim, and in 2009-10 this figure was 35%.