Government makes plans to combat economic inactivity caused by health problems

The government has prepared plans to expand support for people who are unemployed due to health problems in order to ensure that more people are employed.

Data shows that the top causes of economic inactivity due to health problems are mental illness and musculoskeletal disorders (MSK) such as back pain.

The number of workers aged 16 to 34 who say their mental illness limits the type or amount of work they can do has more than quadrupled in the last decade, and mental health is now the top work-limiting health issue among those aged 44 and over. younger.

Meanwhile, MSK conditions are the most common conditions affecting older people of working age who are economically inactive due to long-term illness, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.

The government says unhealthy lifestyles also play a role, with people who smoke, drink high levels of alcohol or have a body mass index (BMI) above 40 being more likely to be unemployed.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “The Health Secretary is already taking action to get people back to health and work, with extra support to reduce waiting lists in the 20 NHS trusts with the highest levels of disease and economic inactivity.”

These so-called “crack teams”, which will put high-density surgical teams into hospitals to reduce waiting lists, have been welcomed but there are concerns that they will not be able to address the root causes of what is happening.

Analysis by the charity King’s Fund shows that while there is a “clear link between waiting lists and employment”, surgery “may not be the answer” when people are unemployed due to poor mental health and conditions such as back pain.

As the King’s Fund says, “many of these cases will not be solved in the operating theatre”.

Ms Kendall also said the Government would deliver on its promise to bring in 8,500 new mental health staff and “expand individual placement support (IPS) to reach a further 140,000 people with mental health problems” by 2028/29.

IPS is an employment support service integrated into community mental health teams for people experiencing serious mental health problems.

It aims to help people find and keep jobs through targeted assistance with everything from resume writing to interview preparation to ongoing mental health assistance.

The plans also include “new WorkWell services” created by the previous Government as a way for GPs to refer patients to employment counselors and other work-related support.

Ms Kendall said the Government was also “delegating new funding, new powers and new responsibilities to mayors and local areas to tackle economic inactivity, because local leaders know their communities best”.

The White Paper sets out how the Government will invest £125 million in eight regions in England and Wales to “mobilise local business, health and skills support – so everyone who wants to work can get the combined support they need”.

This includes extra funding in three regions – the North East, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire – to prevent people becoming completely unemployed due to ill health.

As previously announced, the Government has also pledged to deliver an additional 40,000 elective appointments per week in the NHS.

The joint program between various Government departments will also look at the CEC community delivery program to further reduce waiting times for these conditions.

The White Paper also reveals that more than 90% of NHS speech therapy services in England currently provide access to employment advisors, but the target is for this to be 99% by March 2025.

On prevention, the paper says the Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Bill will reduce smoking and vaping, while already announced increases in tobacco and alcohol taxes and the reformulation of food and drink continue.

Sam Sharps, chief policy officer at the Tony Blair Institute, said: “Growing the economy is the only way out of the spiral of high taxes and poor public services.

“But with nearly three million people out of work due to health problems, we will never get the economic growth we need.

“The key to getting Britain back to work is ensuring our working-age population stays healthy for longer.

“This means a shift to preventative health measures made possible by advances in screening, digital tools and early interventions.

“TBI estimates that even a 20% reduction in the incidence of the six major categories of diseases that keep people out of work – cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, and mental health and musculoskeletal disorders – would yield significant macroeconomic benefits. does” .”