11.02.14
Integrate health and employment services – OECD
Better policies are needed to help people with mental health disorders get back to work, a new OECD report has urged.
Mental health problems cost the UK about £70bn a year in lost productivity at work, benefit payments and healthcare. It is thought 1 million claimants on ESA and JSA have a mental disorder which is harming their chances of finding work.
The leading cause for disability benefit claims is mental illness, with 40% of all new claims due to this.
The report advocates acting early to prevent benefit dependency, and to ensure welfare cuts are matched with increased efforts to address the barriers to finding and remaining in work. A combination of health and employment interventions are needed to tackle the high unemployment rate for people with mental health disorders.
Waiting lists for some mental health services are still too long in some parts of the country and a more systematic approach to inform GPs about dealing with workplace issues is needed.
Ensuring the new Health and Work Service is implemented quickly and universally with a strong focus on mental health, as well as increased attention on mental health and its impact on employability, will be vital to improving the opportunities for these patients.
The OECD also called for work to build on the integration of health and employment services, and the expansion of access to psychological therapies for those with a common mental disorder.
Centre for Mental Health chief executive Sean Duggan commented: “The government, the NHS and employment services in the UK have a lot more to do if they are to offer people with mental health problems a fairer chance in the labour market.
“The OECD recognises that awareness of the importance of mental health at work in the UK is among the highest in the world. But it shows how far we have to go to create a system of health and employment support that gives people the best chance of fulfilling their potential and getting a fair chance.
“This report is a timely reminder of the need for improved support for people with mental health problems to get and keep work. Too many people lose their jobs when they have a mental health problem for lack of the right support. And too few people with mental health problems are offered effective support to get work despite clear evidence of what would give them the best possible chance of success.
“We hope that today’s report will encourage the government, the NHS and Work Programme providers to take a broader, more concerted and evidence-based approach to supporting the employment aspirations of people with a range of mental health problems.”
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