NHS to test return-to-work ‘accelerators’ as part of tackling ill-health worklessness

The NHS is to test the effectiveness of various health interventions in getting people back into work or keeping them in work.

The £45m trial by NHS England will see ‘health and growth accelerators’ created in South Yorkshire, the North East and North Cumbria, and West Yorkshire, all parts of the country affected by economic inactivity driven by ill health.

The three areas will look to boost people’s health alongside tackling the conditions that most affect people’s ability to work – ranging from cardiovascular problems and diabetes through to back pain and mental health issues.

NHS England will also work with the Office for National Statistics to assess the economic benefits of several health interventions, including talking therapies, bariatric surgery, treatment for endometriosis, and the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Programme.

The analysis will cover impact on waiting times, employment rates and earnings while feeding into work by the Office for Budget Responsibility and the government on labour market effects, NHS England said.

In line with the government’s broader priority of shifting from treating sickness to prevention, as outlined in its Get Britain Working white paper, the accelerators will work on preventing diseases that lead to people dropping out of work, including diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

This could include more support for people to manage their blood pressure or diabetes, more action to find people at risk and supporting people to make lifestyle changes, NHS England said.

The accelerators will also test the use of digital tools to support mental health therapy sessions and musculoskeletal pain as well as potentially placing employment advisors into clinical pathways and in GP settings.

If the trials are successful in boosting health and improving local employment, they could be rolled out by the NHS on a wider scale, the service added.

In the North East and North Cumbria, too, the funding will provide specialist work and health support in GP practices and other health services to offer advice and coaching to people when health issues become a barrier to working.

A pilot scheme in the region, led by the integrated care board and the Department for Work and Pensions, has already helped almost 2,000 people back to work through one-to-one support in County Durham and the Tees Valley.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “By tackling a rise in health-related economic inactivity and by helping people stay in work or get back to work, the NHS can be a key driver for economic growth in England.

“Whether it is dedicated employment advisers in back pain clinics, new digital talking therapy tools or providing more support for people to manage their blood pressure or diabetes, the work of these accelerators will be vital in helping us boost peoples’ health whilst also identifying the health interventions that best prevent economic inactivity,” she added.

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