Health and work update for clients
Primary recipients of this and each of our regular monthly updates are asked to ensure these are disseminated to colleagues in HR, those in line management positions, and to senior management.
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Preventing ill health and supporting employee health in work
The Health Foundation Commission for Healthier Working Lives has just in this last month published an interim report “Towards a Healthier Workforce”[1] which reports that among now among over 8 million working-age people reporting health conditions that limit the type or amount of work they do, over 3.9 million of these people are in work (an increase of 1.5 mission since 2013). A key point is made that for the 300,000 people falling out of work as a result of ill health, these people are three times less likely to return to work than those without health conditions.
For just over half the UK workforce, their employers do not engage occupational health services. This is especially the case for small and medium sized enterprises; for larger employers, 89% have in-house or contracted occupational health support. The principal value of occupational health rests in advising employers on how ill health and injury can be prevented, and when health problems do arise, early assessment can promote resolution. This is true both for situations where a health condition is impacting on capacity for work, for which we may then advise on adjustments for the employer to consider, and also where work factors are impacting on health. This includes hazards to physical health, such as health surveillance for those working with hazards that include respiratory sensitizers, noise and vibration, and workplace stress. Further to this we can also provide training for managers in promoting health and work, so contributing to supportive cultures at work.
The key performance indicators we have for our contracts with clients allows timely access (depending on the client organisation’s needs but typically with appointments offered with the appropriate occupational health professional within 10 working days of referral) as early assessment promotes a return to work at the right time for that employee. We do however occasionally see employees for whom an earlier referral would have been beneficial and may have avoided an adverse outcome, so we would encourage all clients to reinforce the benefit of earlier referral. If managers are in doubt about the need for a referral then we can provide advice on this also.
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The budget, the Employment Rights Bill and Government work and health initiatives
Our clients will have paid close attention to the Autumn Budget[2], and the potential employment implications of this and the Employment Rights Bill[3] that is under consultation. An important element of the budget is the uplift to the NHS budget, as a key factor impacting health and work has been access to healthcare interventions to enable people to return to work, as set out by Lord Darzi in his report on the state of the NHS in England[4]. Lord Darzi comments (and this would we expect be the case across the UK) that “having more people in work grows the economy and so creates more tax receipts to fund public services. There is therefore a virtuous circle if the NHS can help more people back into work”. This is true for the productivity of each of our client organisations, across the public, private and charitable sectors. Lord Darzi comments that there are long waits for mental health and musculoskeletal services, too, the biggest causes of long-term sickness. The great majority of our clients provide employee assistance programmes; given that it is likely to take some time (years rather than months) to improve access to NHS services, we should be happy to discuss the benefit of employer funded healthcare such as physiotherapy, which some of our clients have successfully utilised for some time. These interventions, as well as the provision of occupational health services, boost productivity not only directly through the healthcare and/or occupational health intervention, but also contribute to motivation, boosting the sense of employees feeling supported and valued.
Dr Robin Cordell
MBA FRCP FFOM
11 November 2024
We should draw attention to the links on our home page to this current monthly health and work update for our clients, and also to our previous updates at: https://cordellhealth.co.uk/.
[1] The Health Foundation (2024) Commission for Healthier Working Lives. Interim report “Towards a Healthier Workforce” dated October 2024
[2] UK Government (2024). Autumn Budget 2014 dated 30 Oct 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/autumn-budget-2024
[3] UK Government Press release dated 10 Oct 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-does-the-employment-rights-bill-mean-for-you
[4] UK Government (2024). Independent investigation of the NHS in England dated 12 Sep 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-investigation-of-the-nhs-in-england