YHealth4Growth

In this blog, Richard Stubbs reflects on how working together across sectors to share initiatives that improve good health through good employment is fundamental to tackling economic inactivity through ill health, regionally and beyond.

Our region has the third lowest employment rate in England, with long-term sickness affecting one in six of the UK workforce and costing the UK £180 billion annually in health-related economic inactivity. Our white paper, in which we engaged with council representatives, leaders, and directors of public health to launch, illustrates the profound impact of economic inactivity on our region’s population and economic output. Our new government has outlined its commitment to kickstarting economic growth but what our work has outlined is the bi-directional link between growth and health, and the need to improve the health of the population if these long-standing productivity, inactivity, and economic challenges are to be addressed.

In secure and supportive environments, employment can enhance health and guard against social exclusion. Conversely, unemployment and poor-quality jobs contribute to adverse health outcomes, including chronic pain, mental health disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. The ripple effects of employment extend beyond individuals to families and communities, shaping overall public health.

This challenge doesn’t just impact our region, with economic inactivity rising by 900,000 people since 2020 across the UK. There are many reasons for people being economically inactive and out of work, including caring for relatives, access to childcare, long-term acute illness, and being in full time education. However, 85 per cent of this increase since 2020 is due to those who are experiencing ill-health. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals a rising trend in long-term sickness, increasing from 2.0 million in 2019 to 2.5 million by 2022. Additionally, while short-term unemployment has decreased, long-term unemployment continues to grow, exacerbating economic inactivity. Since the white paper launch, we have been working to unpick the economic inactivity of our region further and work alongside partners across Yorkshire and the Humber to plan how we can collaborate to take on this issue.

Traditionally, the emphasis has been on improving individual health to enable sustainable employment. However, the reverse is also true: “good work” significantly contributes to good health. Employers can enhance their workers’ health by adopting fair employment practices and providing wellbeing support and leaders have a key role to play in developing a culture that is supportive of this. The ONS highlights an alarming trend of individuals exiting the workforce due to health issues, with nearly a fifth of the UK’s working-age population having a work-limiting condition. For sustainable business practices, addressing workforce health is not only a corporate responsibility but also essential for economic stability, especially in sectors like health and social care.

Addressing this challenge is something that needs to be done collectively, it’s not an issue which can be addressed by a single organisation or a single sector. It requires a cross-sector, multi-disciplinary approach to understand and tackle the root of the issue. To start the process of connecting partners and building collaboration, we dedicated our most recent Strategic Advisory Board to the topic and worked with NHS England to hold a roundtable showcasing some of the initiatives we know are making an impact in this area. Both events focused on leveraging regional collaboration to influence national policy and it’s clear that Yorkshire and the Humber is pioneering some innovative approaches that can be scaled up further afield.

Some examples of initiatives that are working well in our region include Barnsley Council’s Pathways to Work. The unemployment rate in Barnsley is lower than the national average at 2.9%, and the initiative enables those currently outside of the labour market to achieve pathways to employment. It also champions employers to support workforce health through prioritising prevention and supporting adjustments for those with health conditions to be in good work. Another well-evidenced initiative into work for those with health conditions is South Yorkshire’s ‘Working Win’ which provides one on one personal support to help people navigate around the systems while also supporting employers. In its seven years, the programme has helped 4,000 people back into work through its person-centered approach. The evaluation of these initiatives shows that the key elements of success are due to being genuinely place-based, co-designed and co-delivered by local partners. It’s clear that councils and combined authorities should carry on the good work they’re doing working cross-sector, leveraging scale and convening power to develop shared visions and empower communities.

Nationally, carers play a crucial role in supporting the NHS’s sustainability, with 5.5 million carers in England alone. The NHS Carers Agenda prioritises carers’ health and wellbeing, fostering partnerships, and investing in carer support. Initiatives like NHS England’s ‘Commitments to Carers’ and the Royal College of General Practitioners’ ‘Supporting Carers in General Practice’ program highlight the significant benefits of investing in carer support for the healthcare system.

For this good practice to spread, we need mediators that can work across sectors and connect organisations with new thinking and practices. There is a role for organisations like Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber to facilitate connections between places to enable other areas to adopt initiatives and share the blueprint for success. As we move forward with this agenda, I envision us acting as a catalyst to support good health and good employment practices by:

• Being a connector: building bridges between organisations and sharing best practice.
• Being a problem-solver: helping provide innovation and solutions to address barriers to adopting best practice.
• Being an advocate: using the organisation’s voice, networks and platforms to influence policy, leadership and decision-making in favour of supporting good health and work.

Through this approach, we can play a pivotal role in supporting and expanding health-focused initiatives by fostering collaboration, addressing barriers to best practice adoption and influencing policy to support good health and employment practices. By continuing these efforts, we can address the intertwined challenges of health and economic inactivity, fostering a healthier, more productive workforce and contributing to regional and national economic prosperity.

If you would like to get in touch about the work we’re doing, collaborate with us or have questions about any of the initiatives mentioned, please contact us.

Find out more about the initiatives mention in this blog on our Health and Work web page

This blog was initially published by The MJ on 30 August 2024