Why refer to WorkWell?
One of the key objectives of WorkWell is to support individuals with a health condition that is a barrier to remaining in or finding work. We believe that many people who are absent from work due to reasons linked to mental health, MSK and respiratory reasons often struggle to return to work after a period of sickness absence. This can be for a variety of reasons, but we believe that by intervening at the earliest possible stage and adopting a preventative approach, the prospects of helping patients return to work can be greatly improved. This contributes to helping patients in precarious employment to be in ‘good work’ and of a quality that leads individuals, families and communities to thrive.
There are a range of benefits to GPs and their patients including:
- A simple, easy to access, free service that specialises in supporting patients facing difficulties in their workplace, in a landscape where there are few alternative options for help and support.
- Independent, practical information, advice and guidance on how to deal with issues at work connected to health conditions that is designed to help patients understand their options and move forward.
- Indicative timeframe for support is 6 months, but is not time limited meaning that the patient can flex access according to speed of health and work developments.
- Offers a dual approach to ‘signing patients off’ on Fit Notes, where the patient accrues benefits of recovering while away from the workplace, while also offering alternatives to simply obtaining consecutive Fit Notes that may otherwise decrease the likelihood of returning to work or of falling out of employment completely.
- Lessens the likelihood of the patient requiring repeat visits to their GP practice for Fit Notes and reliance upon public services including benefits, talking therapies that may have limited access or lead to negative socioeconomic outcomes.
