The 2008 Black Report highlights these facts about sickness absence in the UK:

• 175 million days were lost to illness in 2006.
• 90% of men and 80% of women “will be obese by 2050” – Black
• Mental health problems and musculo-skeletal disorders are the major causes of sickness absence and “worklessness” costing the taxpayer over £60 billion
• The annual economic cost of sickness absence and worklessness associated with working age ill health are over £100 billion – this is greater than the current annual budget for the NHS (Black Report 17th March 2008)

Each year 600,000 move into Incapacity Benefit, many of whom could have been rehabilitated back into the workplace with appropriate adjustments made to their working roles.

The CBI, in its report “Business and Healthcare for the 21st Century” sees the role of Occupational Health as being critical in establishing an effective sickness absence management programme. It acknowledges that “the case load and the knowledge of GP’s is such that they are not likely to see the early return to work of their patients as a priority”.

Many companies have seen the benefits, when, with the assistance of , Management and Human Resources have worked together to put agreed rehabilitation processes in place. Part of the process involves liaising with GPs and outside agencies to make them aware of the possibilities for early return to work. We offer this service, with the aim of creating an absence management system that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of Management, HR and Occupational Health, and sets agreed trigger points for involvement of each of them.