Keep Britain Working is encouraging employers and workplace healthcare professionals to share their experiences on what works or doesn’t when it comes to healthcare interventions.
In its report that was published earlier in this week as part of the’Discovery phase ‘, the review led by former John Lewis Partnership Chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield said they wanted to know about the activities and initiatives employers and occupational healthcare professionals are undertaking to avoid health issues occurring at the workplace.
The review also wanted to know how barriers that prevent people with disabilities from working could be removed. As part of the evidence gathering, the review will be looking for written evidence and conducting focus groups.
The report stated that “we are interested in understanding initiatives being undertaken to increase access to treatment and support for employees (both with regard to the scope of support available and the speed of access), including evidence as to how effective these initiatives are.”
It added, “We would like to hear about innovative interventions that produce better results and evidence of their impact.”
The Keep Britain Working report stated that it was also interested in the experiences of employers and employees with effective case management, and what made this work well, and again, what obstacles exist.
Early support is key to prevention. The report emphasized that we are interested in exploring examples and evidence where employers were able to work together with employees to identify health conditions and disabilities sooner and more effectively.
We would like to know where there has been a closer collaboration between employers, workers and other parties such as occupational health or healthcare providers and what the impact was of this collaboration.
The review report found that there was a delay in providing effective support to people who are ill or have disabilities. Delays can worsen and exacerbate conditions, resulting in longer absences from work.
It was noted that between July 2023 to June 2024, 1,5 million people had a long-term absence due to illness. There is a causal link between the time spent away from work and the likelihood that people will leave their jobs.
The longer people stay away from their workplace, the less likely they are to return successfully. The report stated that when people are out of work more than one year, they’re more likely to quit than return. This is illustrated in the graph below.
People with long-term illness caused by mental health conditions are less likely than those with musculoskeletal problems or other conditions to return to their jobs.
The report noted that while the primary healthcare provider is often the first to be called for assistance during times of illness, when conditions fluctuate or when faced with additional obstacles, the general practitioner’s ability to provide this support was “much less certain”.
“General practice staff is not qualified in occupational medicine.” They will also not have the knowledge of the patient’s work environment and they won’t have the time to dig into the obstacles they face in the workplace.
It pointed out that this was the reason 93% of all fit notes issued by general practitioners simply recommended that an employee was not suitable for work and did not recommend any interventions to help him or her stay at work or manage their job.
The report noted that “there is a disparity in the amount of detail employers would expect from fit notes, if they worked as intended to help them assist the employee” and the type that health care providers provide.
The waiting time to see a specialist was also too long. The report stated that “demand for treatment and interventions for mental and musculoskeletal health conditions, two of the most common workplace health issues, have significantly outstripped supply.”
The report acknowledged that many employers provided OH services, vocational rehabilitation and employee assistance programs (EAPs) as forms of workplace support.
The report highlighted that “around three out of ten employers offer occupational health services or rehabilitation to around half the workforce.”
As has been known for a long time, this type of support is generally only provided by large employers. These types of schemes are more prevalent in large employers (89%) compared to smaller companies (28%), and they vary by sector. EAPs are offered by 13% of employers. They often offer a range of services, including virtual GPs and therapists as well as financial advisors. The report stated that this can depend on the program.
These types of schemes are widely available, but we have yet to see clear evidence on their uptake or impact on absences and economic inactivity. The schemes also focus more on rehabilitation rather than prevention.
The report also highlighted the fact that “general practice staff are often overstretched” when it comes to managing workplace health issues.
Case management can be provided by occupational health services. We have heard from both employers and employees, that the recommendations made for changes and interventions are often ineffective.
They are not occupational medicine specialists and they do not have the funding to support employers and manage OH cases. The report said, “It’s not their job.”
“Occupational health services provide case management functions.” We have heard from both employers and employees, that the recommendations made for interventions and adjustments can be ineffective. They are also not based on a thorough understanding of the specific characteristics of work.
The Business Disability Forum cited research that showed that only 25% of disabled employees and 22% of managers believed occupational health had assisted the employee to manage barriers at work, or understand what adjustments would help.
The report recommends that “effective case management and supportive interventions should focus on interventions which incorporate early and sustained contact and support from employers, coordination between the employee and employer and the healthcare systems, and appropriate adjustments in the role or workplace.”
There is also a direct email address that people can use to provide feedback. It’s a href=”https://www.personneltoday.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcd7d9d9ccdeced5c8ddd5d2cbd3ced7d5d2db92ced9cad5d9cbfcd8cbcc92db92ced9d9cb92ced9d9dbb”>#bbd9″>[email protected] You can also send feedback to [email protected]
In the months to come, there will also be virtual events that explore these topics in greater detail.
The review also stated that it would hold focus groups to collect feedback from people who have lived through these issues.
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