Supporting Business – what the fit note and other initiatives meanDr Bill Gunnyeon Chief Medical Adviser Department for Work and Pensions

Costs of working age ill-health are high

Working age ill-health costs the economy an estimated over £100bn a year (Dame Carol Black’s review, 2008)

Over £60bn loss to business through lost productivity (est. more than £25bn through mental health alone)

Significant costs to government (over £60bn pa):

• Around £20bn pa on benefit spend (IB/ESA and DLA)

• Healthcare costs

• Foregone taxes

Over a fifth of working people are disabled or have a long-term condition

27 million employed

680,000off sick

22% with a health condition

or disability

25% with a health condition or disability

7.5 million inactive

45% with a health condition

or disability

2.5 million unemployed

But having a health condition or being disabled need not be a barrier to employment

Proportions of working age people with a long-term health condition who are employed, unemployed and inactive

Employed 60%

Inactive 34%

Unemployed 6%

60% of people with a long term health condition are in work

Demographic changes present an increasing challenge

46%

47%

48%

49%

50%

51%

52%

53%

2008 2013 2018 2023 2028 2033

years

Per

centa

ge

Wkng Age under 40

Wkng Age over 40

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

2.9

3

3.1

3.2

3.3

2008 2013 2018 2023 2028 2033

years

Old Age Support Ratio

An ageing workforce

With more chronic or progressive diseases

Having to supportmore people ofpension age

00.20.40.60.8

11.21.4

2006 2033

years

m

Coronary heart disease diabetes

Key initiatives

• Fit Note

• Occupational Health Adviceline

• Fit for Work Service

• Health, Work and Wellbeing Challenge Fund

The “Fit Note”

Statement of Fitness for Work

• Developed in partnership with healthcare and employer organisations and other stakeholders

• Tested with GPs

• Subject to formal consultation

• Designed to:

• Reflect current medical practice

• Be more user friendly

• Provide more helpful advice to patients and their employers

• Shares responsibility with employer:

• GP knows health condition and its impact

• Employer knows job and working environment

Implementation

• Statutory Instrument 137/2010

• Came into effect on 6 April 2010

• Guidance for GPs and employers published on-line 19 February 2010

• Employers guidance developed in partnership with CIPD, CBI, FSB, Acas, ABI and EEF

• GP guidance developed in partnership with RCGP and BMA

• Now developing computer generated format

www.dwp.gov.uk/fitnote

Occupational Health Adviceline

Occupational Health Adviceline

• Aims to reduce sickness absence and avoidable job loss ( through employer action)

• GB wide occupational health telephone adviceline

• Piloted in nine locations – launched and live on 7 December 2009

• Easy access to free, professional occupational health advice on individual problems using qualified occupational health nurses with additional training

• Focus on helping manager resolve individual employee health at work problems ( especially mental health issues)

• Target audience – employers/managers in businesses with fewer than 50 staff

• Also in scope – businesses with 50-249 employees, employees, GPs

• From 1 April 2010 available to SMEs across Great Britain and from 6 April to GPs for advice on patient issues

Fit for Work Service

Fit for Work Service

• Aims to reduce sickness absence and avoidable job loss (through co-ordinated services)

• Service for people off work sick for 4-6 weeks

• 11 pilots in locations throughout GB selected via stiff competition

• Early access to co-ordinated health treatment and employment support including debt, housing, learning and skills, employer liaison and conciliation

• Pilots all live by April 2010

• Testing different local models - case management a key component

• Variety of delivery partnerships – existing and new local consortia

Fit for Work Service pilot sites

• Scotland-wide • Dundee • Rhyl • Birmingham • Eastern & Coastal Kent • Kensington & Chelsea

• Leicestershire • North Staffordshire • Nottinghamshire • Wakefield District • Greater Manchester

Challenge Fund

Health Work and Wellbeing Challenge Fund

• Aims to encourage initiatives that improve workplace health and wellbeing

• Focus on SMEs and mental wellbeing and on employee involvement

• Launched 22 October 2009• 258 applications received and 73 successful awards by

local assessment panels• Administered by Health Work and Wellbeing Coordinators

Impact on organisations

• Contribute to:

• Reducing frequency and duration of absence

• Reducing staff turnover

• Increasing productivity

• Reducing costs

• Ensuring sustainable workforce for the future