Health and Work Service: Supplier Announced

The Government has announced that its new health and work service is to be provided by Health Management Limited, the UK's leading occupational healthcare provider. The appointment follows a five month tendering exercise.

In Scotland the service will be delivered by the Scottish Government on behalf of the UK Government. 

The service will be launched in late 2014, with a phased roll-out coming to a close by the end of May 2015. 

The Health and Work Service aims to help employers and employees manage sickness absence. Employees who have been absent from work on sick leave for four weeks will be provided with a work-focused occupational health assessment to help them to return to work as soon as possible. Employees will normally be referred by their GP, with the resulting return to work plan being shared with their employer.

The Government estimates that around 1 million employees were on sick leave for a month or more each year on average between September 2010 and October 2013, with employers facing an annual bill of around £9 billion for sick pay and associated costs.