The NSW return-to-work rate has improved over a three-year period, while the overall cost of premiums has fallen, according to an inaugural performance report from the workers’ compensation regulator.

The report says 2012 reforms that focused on capacity have brought a significant improvement in return-to-work rates as insurers actively manage claims.

In 2014/15 the percentage of injured workers back at work by 13 weeks converged at about 86% for the various types of insurers involved in the scheme.

The 26-week result converged towards about 89%.

The performance report is the first from the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), formed as part of wider workers’ compensation reforms that took effect in September last year.

The state scheme, excluding government self-insured employers, was responsible for managing nearly 80,000 reported claims in 2014/15.

“This is a significant reduction from nearly 115,000 reported claims lodged annually between the 2008/09 and 2011/12 financial years,” the report says.

The scheme insured $216 billion of wages for the year to June 30 2015, up 3.5% on the previous year. Total payments were $2.62 billion.

The report says the number of claims receiving weekly benefits has reduced, while the average amount paid in weekly benefits has increased over the past three years.