ukactive has declared its support for the Keep Britain Working Review following close collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions, which published its findings today (5 November).
The review, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, provides recommendations on how the Government can begin to address issues of long-term sickness in the UK’s workforce, which significantly impacts economic productivity and growth.
Last month, ukactive convened members representing the physical activity sector with the Department for Work and Pensions to understand its targets and the opportunity to support its plans as Vanguards for the industry.
Following expressions of interest from across industry, the initial list of Vanguards published by the Department today features ukactive members from the public and private sectors. These organisations, and others to follow, will support the Government’s plans to tackle the rising tide of ill-health that is keeping many people out of work and holding back growth.
ukactive has been working with the Department of Work and Pensions to highlight the vital role the physical activity sector plays in addressing sickness and supporting the health of the workforce through physical activity. Proposals include:
- Helping the Government capture better data on workplace health performance.
- Helping to deliver more employee health and wellbeing services and programmes for businesses of varying backgrounds and sizes.
- Helping the Government, NHS, and businesses address the twin issues of declining mental health and musculoskeletal (MSK) health, two of the leading causes of long-term absence from work.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “We welcome and support the findings from the Keep Britain Working Review and hope this is the start of a new partnership between Government and business to begin addressing the national issues we face around long-term sickness.
“Within this review, the physical activity sector has the opportunity to play a key role in helping address some of our underlying health issues, notably involving mental health and musculoskeletal health, and in doing so help people stay in work, and also get people back into work.
“We look forward to working with the Government to help deliver the report recommendations and work towards a healthier and more productive society.”
Today’s announcement comes against the backdrop of poor population health, with MSK conditions being the primary cause of disability among older adults in the UK, affecting more than 20 million people every year and accounting for 30 million lost workdays. Physical activity interventions and programmes within the sector have been proven to help reduce and relieve many of these conditions, as demonstrated by the MSK Hubs pilot.
ukactive research also shows that nearly three quarters (72%) of adults surveyed with a mental health condition say being physically active has helped them to stay well and be less likely to be off work. The ‘Mental Health in Motion’ report found that more than three in five (61%) say they would join a gym if it was offered as a benefit or at a discounted rate through their employer.
ukactive will continue to collaborate with the Department for Work and Pensions, and across Government departments, to ensure its members can play the fullest role in helping create a healthier and more productive society.
To read the Keep Britain Working Review in full, click here. If you would like to express your interest to support the work, please contact: publicaffairs@ukactive.org.uk
