A new government scheme has been designed to tackle the problem of long term sickness absence. It is all too common an occurrence, according to government sources, that workers go on sick leave and end up being absent for months at a time. This can affect family wellness as it leads to the worker feeling a lack of dignity and self-worth, as they are not able to work and support their family.
Carl Lightbown has been on the receiving end of this new pilot scheme, after falling victim to a work-related injury. His wellness was affected by shoulder problems, which are very common in manual workers but often see people signed off for weeks and even months whilst they await NHS treatment.
Fortunately, however, Car lives in Leicester, where they are piloting the new government scheme. When Carl saw his GP, he was referred to the scheme, known as Fit For Work, where his wellbeing was assessed by a free occupational health service.
The service is designed to help people get back to work quickly, in the knowledge that the longer they are out of work, the harder it is for them to return and the less likely it is that they will be able to return to the same job. It is also a money-saving enterprise, as sick leave costs the UK approximately 15bn per year in lost economic output.
The service, which is due to spread across England, Wales and Scotland next year, offered Carl immediate physiotherapy sessions rather than him having to join the rather long waiting list to receive help on the NHS. He was also given a phased return to work, to enable him to return to his job quickly but also safely.
Despite doctors predicting that his leave would have to be long term, Carl was back at work in less than four weeks.
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