Dr Bill Gunnyeon Chief Medical Adviser

1. Fitness for WorkThe Government response to “Health at Work – an independent review of sickness absence” Dr Bill Gunnyeon Chief Medical Adviser Department for Work and Pensions

2. The new milestone Fitness for Work: the Government response to “Health at Work – an independent review of sickness absence” Published 17 January 2013

3. Sickness Absence Review Commissioned February 2011 DWP in partnership with BIS Undertaken by Dame Carol Black and David Frost Published November 2011

4. Problems identified Lack of good quality advice for employers at critical 4-6 week absence Lower paid and lower skilled employees employed by SMEs more likely to miss out on interventions and fall onto benefits Percentage threshold scheme weakens the incentive for good absence management Some people require a change of job or change of employerin order to return to work Inefficiencies and delays in benefit system extend period away from employment Significant differences across public sector in sickness absence

5. Sickness Absence Review Recommendations Tax relief on Vocational Rehabilitation Independent Assessment Service Abolition of Percentage Threshold Scheme in SSP Job Brokering Service Sickness Absence reduction Public Sector – Review of Sick Pay Changes to Employment and Support Allowance

6. Sickness Absence Review Response Once in a generation opportunity to reform the system Complex and challenging Needed to ensure: Solutions to problems identified were right ones They would be deliverable They would have the expected impact There was robust business case They would dovetail with each other And with other systems and policies Published 17 January 2013

7. Key measures A state-funded health and work assessment and advisory service from 2014 Funded through abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme Access to Universal Jobmatch for those requiring job change Retention of tax relief on Employee Assistance Programmes Budget 2013 announced removal of tax disincentives for employer funded vocational rehabilitation interventions recommended by the Service (HMT consultation later this year) Abolition of SSP record-keeping requirements Publication of revised fit note guidance

8. Health and work assessment and advisory service

9. Health and Work Assessment and Advisory Service Employer/employee/GP access advice Anytime Anytime Advice helpline On-line guidance and support Self-help, issue identification and guidance Issue identification, report and signposting Issue resolution and return to work

10. Health and work assessment and advisory service GP/employer referral 4 weeks Telephone/face-to-face discussions to identify issues and make recommendations Case management Produce a Return to Work Plan Work related/ workplace adjustments Health-related Non-work/non-health related Improvement/ resolution Intervention

11. Benefits of the new strategy Early assessment will reduce the number of people falling on to sickness benefits: Improving the long-term health and financial outcomes for those employees Saving the taxpayer c.£50m annually And it will help others return to work more quickly: Saving employers up to £160m per year Boosting economic output by up to £900m per year

12. Volume estimates Government response assumed: 560,000 referrals per year (full service, steady state) around 60 – 130 minutes contact time per person 330 – 740 Occupational Health (OH) professionals and 5 – 10 OH or Vocational Rehabilitation physicians Working to refine these as part of the Invitation to Tender (ITT) process