The Health and Work Service

By April 2015, the government hopes to have fully rolled-out its new Health and Work Service to make occupational health advice available to employers and employees (although mostly over the phone). The service promises:

• state funded assessment by occupational health professionals for employees off sick for four weeks or more;

• “signposting” to “appropriate interventions” including universal job match, an online job search service, for employees able to work but unlikely to return to their current employer;

• “case management” for employees with complex needs who need ongoing support for their return to work.

Under the new scheme, which is not compulsory, GPs or employers will be able to refer employees for a work-focused occupational health assessment. The main route is to be via GPs, but employers will be able to refer employees if the GP has not done so after four weeks of sickness absence.

The TUC has said it welcomes any measure that could help employees return to work when they have been ill, but cautions that care must be taken in the way the scheme is implemented to avoid people being forced back to work before they are well enough.

The scheme is to be outsourced to private sector providers on a five-year contract worth £200 million. Support is to be provided largely through a telephone Adviceline and a “support website”, with only 5%-10% of workers expected to receive a face-to-face assessment. The likely provider is Capita, in partnership with the NHS Health at Work Network of occupational health providers. The core focus of the service will be musculoskeletal and mental health conditions, although other conditions will also be covered. The existing Health4Work Adviceline, which targets small and medium-sized enterprises, is likely to be incorporated into the new service.

The scheme is to be rolled out in two regions from October 2014, with full roll-out in April 2015.