New Health and Work Service

In January 2013, the government responded to its commissioned report, Health and work: an independent review of sickness absence, known as the Black/Frost report. In Fitness for work, it announced a series of measures to address the “burden” of sickness absence on businesses, taxpayers and people who “get trapped on benefits”, including the creation of a new independent assessment and advisory service, the Health and Work Service.

In July 2014, the government announced that the new Health and Work Service in England and Wales will be delivered by occupational health provider Health Management Limited (HML) and will be launched in late 2014 with a phased roll-out coming to a close by the end of May 2015.

The new service is designed to help employees and employers to manage sickness absence and follows government concerns over statistics which showed that 960,000 employees were on sick leave for a month or more each year on average between September 2010 and October 2013. The government claims the scheme will save employers up to £160 million a year in statutory sick pay and will increase economic output by up to £900 million a year.

Employees on sick leave will be helped to return to work by providing them with an occupational health assessment when they reach, or are expected to reach, more than four weeks’ sickness absence. Employees will normally be referred by their GPs. A resulting return to work plan will be shared with their employer and GP. More general health and work advice will be available to GPs, employers and employees via telephone and a website.

The service will comprise two elements: a health and work telephone helpline and online support for employers, employees and GPs; and access to an occupational health assessment for employees on a period of sickness absence lasting four weeks or more.

The service will take a case-managed approach, with a case manager being assigned to a case and responsible for follow-up and continuity of care. It will also aim to produce a “return to work plan” detailing any obstacles, recommended interventions and a timetable.

The DWP said that while the service is intended to be wide ranging, its core focus will be on musculoskeletal and mental health conditions.

The TUC said it supported anything that could help people get back to work when they are ill, and that being in a rewarding job with a supportive employer could be good for your health. But it said care should be taken over how the scheme was implemented. TUC head of health and safety, Hugh Robertson, said: “The focus of this service should be about getting them [workers] better as opposed to just back to work and the two are not necessarily the same.” The danger is that people would be forced back to work before they were well and “also there is nothing which can force employers to do anything with the advice they are given [by occupational health experts]”, he added.