DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 19 February 2009
Calls for interest
in pilots announced
People on sick leave will be helped back into work more quickly
under a pilot scheme kick-started by Care Services Minister Phil
Hope and Work and Pensions Minister Lord McKenzie today.
The 'Fit for Work' Service Programme of Piloting,
backed by £13million, will test out how sickness absentees can be
helped to recover and supported to get back to work more quickly
than would otherwise be the case. They will test a range of
different ways of providing support, to identify what works best.
Each pilot will test personalised, back to work support for
people off sick. The range of services within a pilot should go
beyond just healthcare and join up local services, including:
* Skills advice
* Employment advice
* Health and
wellbeing services with a particular focus on vocational
rehabilitation
* Wider social support such as debt or housing
advice
* Conciliation to overcome escalated disputes between
employees and employers
The Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions
are jointly calling for organisations to come forward to
participate in the pilot process from today. The pilots are
expected to begin later this year.
Phil Hope said:
"Good health for the workforce is good for business - every
employer knows that. In the current economic climate it's
even more important that we cut the £100 billion cost of
worklessness caused by ill health."
"These pilots will help us test different ways of helping
people back to work, so we can see what really works. I want local
authorities, PCTs and other providers to put their innovative
ideas behind these pilots, which can only have social and economic
benefits for their areas."
Lord McKenzie said:
"Now more than ever it's important to help people who
are sick to stay in work so that they can support themselves and
their families."
"These Fit for Work pilots will help do just that. Everyone
has the right to work and we want to design a fair system which
supports people so they can work when they are able."
The Fit for Work programme of pilots is part of a package of
measures announced by the Government in response to Dame Carol
Black's review of Britain's working age population. Also
included were 'fit notes', a national centre for working
age health and wellbeing and health, work and wellbeing
co-ordinators. The Government is also increasing funding for
Access to Work, a programme which helps disabled people gain and
stay in employment.
Introducing integrated Fit for Work services is also part of the
commitment set out in Lord Darzi's report "High Quality
Care for All", to provide more support to help people stay
healthy at work and help those struggling with ill health to
return to work faster.
To find out more information, potential bidders should go to http://www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/Fit-for-Work
Notes to Editors
A series of workshops for parties interested in applying to
become part of the Fit for Work programme of piloting will be held
as below.
March 16th 2009 - Edinburgh (City Centre)
March 17th 2009 -
Birmingham (City Centre)
March 18th 2009 - Cardiff (City Centre)
Further updates will be placed at http://www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/Fit-for-Work