Secretaries of State pay visit to new employment support service for people with long term illness
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Health and Social Secretary Wes Streeting met with people helping to deliver a life-changing employment support service at a North London medical centre this week.
The Work & Pensions and Health Secretaries met people on Wednesday who have been supported by WorkWell to return to or remain in work by helping them to manage their physical or mental wellbeing in the workplace.
Kendall and Streeting also met local GPs, and work and health coaches who are helping deliver the services across North Central London.
With more than 100,000 people, almost 20 per cent, across North London currently out of work due to long term sickness, WorkWell pilots connect thousands of people to local support services such as physiotherapy and counselling to help them stay or return to work.
The visit took place at Junction Medical Centre in Tufnell Park which includes GPs and other medical professionals and acts as a hub for WorkWell referrals.
WorkWell, a new joint programme by DWP and DHSC, went live in October this year, backed by £64m funding. WorkWell will reach 56,000 people across the 15 pilot sites by Spring 2026.
The North Central London pilot has received 60 referrals from healthcare professionals. Over the 18-month lifetime of the pilot, 3,000 participants are expected to be supported across North Central London.
For those already in work, but at risk of falling out of employment, WorkWell can offer advice on managing health barriers in the workplace, a review of reasonable adjustments with employers, and support on return-to-work plans.
For those out of work, referrals can be made by a range of healthcare professionals to WorkWell services which will give support to people with CV advice, interview techniques, and support on reasonable adjustment requests with new employers.
The joint visit follows the £240 million Get Britain Working package announced at the Autumn Budget, including new health and skills plans led by Mayors and local areas. These changes are key to delivering the Government’s growth mission and spreading opportunity and prosperity to everyone, wherever they live.
The Get Britain Working plan marks the start of the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation, which will help to drive down poverty and drive up opportunity across the country.
Liz Kendall, Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “Good work is good for health and good for our economy too. That’s why our Get Britain Working White Paper will join up work, health and skills plans to tackle economic inactivity and boost employment across the country.
“Our WorkWell programme provides practical help and support to employers and employees, because we know a healthy nation and a healthy economy are two sides of the same coin.”
The visit comes ahead of an upcoming Getting Britain Working White Paper which aims to develop a new jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, and get on in their work, by linking jobseekers with employers, with an increased focus on skills and careers.
It will also develop joined-up work, health and skills plans to tackle economic inactivity and boost employment, led by mayors and local areas, while a new Youth Guarantee will be set up so that every young person is given the opportunity to earn or learn.
These major changes will address spiraling economic inactivity, the Government states, helping to address a near record 2.8 million people locked out of work due to long term sickness. The Government has stated its ambition to reach an 80 per cent employment rate.
This is alongside the Government’s work to cut NHS waiting lists and address the social determinants of health which are key to getting Britain well and back to work.
Alongside an extra £22.6 billion given to the NHS for 2023/24 and 2025/26, teams of clinicians will also introduce new ways of working at 20 hospital sites in areas with the highest levels of economic inactivity to help patients return to the workforce faster.
