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A new support service, designed to help
working people who face long-term sickness
absence return to work more quickly, is now
available across the whole of England.
»»The free and confidential
service, known as Fit for Work, will
provide the services of occupational
health professionals to employed
people if they have been, or are
likely to be, off work for four weeks
or more.
According to government
statistics, around 815,000 working
people in England each year have
sickness absence of four weeks
or more. Research indicates that,
without support, a significant
proportion will struggle to return to
their jobs.
All GPs in England will now be
able to offer their working patients
a referral to the new service, which
includes an in-depth assessment,
followed by a personalised Return
to Work Plan and managed support
to get back to their jobs. Employers
will also be able to refer their
employees to the service from the
autumn.
The service, which is entirely
voluntary, is intended to help the
hundreds of thousands of people in
England each year who are, or are
likely to be, absent from work for
more than four weeks due to illness
or related issues. It will also help
employers reduce the impact of
long-term sickness absence on their
businesses.
The service is expected to
be of particular value in small
and medium-sized firms where
there is no, or limited, employer
occupational health support
available. It is estimated that only
31% of employees currently have
access to occupational health
services through their place of
work.
HOW IT WORKS
Within two working days
of a referral, the employee
concerned will receive an in-depth
consultation with an occupational
health professional who will explore
all of the issues that might be
preventing that person returning to
work. This will include work-related
and wider personal issues as well as
health matters.
The Return to Work Plan will
direct employees towards services
that will help them overcome
any obstacles keeping them away
from work. If the employee gives
consent, Fit for Work professionals
can also work directly with
employers to help the patient
achieve a return to work. The
Return to Work Plan can replace the
need for doctors to issue fit notes,
thereby relieving pressure on GPs’
time. Support from the new service
lasts for up to three months.
With individuals collectively
estimated to miss out on £4billion
a year in lost earnings, the service
is intended to offer a pragmatic
approach for those struggling to
return to work. Fit for Work takes
a holistic or ‘biopsychosocial’
approach, which takes into account
the full range of work, health, and
non-health/non-work issues that
are preventing a return to work.
‘provide
a vital
line of
support
for GPs in
England’
Rosamond Roughton, Director
of NHS Commissioning, said:
“NHS England welcomes ‘Fit for
Work’, as an opportunity to support
people working in England and
Wales who currently have no access
to expert occupational health
advice.”
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Commenting on the Fit for
Work roll-out, Welfare Reform
Minister Lord Freud said:
“Backing working people is
central to the continued success of
this country. The longer someone
remains out of work due to sickness,
the greater the cost to their career,
income and future earnings.”
Dr Lucy Goundry, Clinical Lead
for the Fit for Work programme
at Health Management Limited,
which will deliver the new service,
said: “GPs have long called for such
a service and we are delighted to
be able to provide an independent
referral service that will make
occupational health support
accessible to the wider working
population as well as provide a
vital line of support for GPs in
England.”
Richard Jones, Head of
Policy and Public Affairs at the
Institution of O