Overview
- An independent Keep Britain Working review says poor workplace health costs employers about £85bn a year and weighs on output by roughly 7% of GDP.
- The government says more than 60 organisations, including Google UK, John Lewis and Burger King, have expressed interest in three‑year vanguard trials.
- The report cites 2.8 million people inactive for health reasons, 800,000 more than in 2019, with a warning that another 600,000 could exit the workforce by 2030 without action.
- Recommendations include replacing or reducing GP fit notes—93% of which declare patients not fit for work—with a certified non‑clinical workplace health provision integrated with the NHS App, plus a Workplace Health Intelligence Unit.
- The review highlights sharp rises in young adults out of work with mental‑health conditions and calls for employer incentives, as charities and think‑tanks urge rapid resourcing and protection of existing disability support.