Returning to work

Returning to Work, Working Longer, Working Healthier in the NHS is a decision-making framework to support line managers and staff.

The toolkit recognises that people within our workforce may have complex mental or physical health conditions that, while not hampering their full contribution at work, may benefit from greater understanding, adaptations or improved work design. Included in these complex situations would be chronic conditions like arthritis, asthma or diabetes, or stress and clinical depression. Often these conditions could be better supported at work, which may enable people to work longer, not seek Ill Health Retirement, and help the NHS as a good employer to attract and retain talent.

It is a decision making tool that may be used by anyone in an HR role, line manager position, occupational health, trade union rep, individual employee or potential employee. The framework helps people to ask a series of appropriate questions to enable them to find answers and solutions to unique sets of issues. There are sets of questions/ checklists that people can take into discussions, as well as a separate resource section.

The material has been developed and tested through focus group events and comprehensively tried out by delegates using real scenarios in a specially designed workshop at the HR in the NHS conference.