Health Works

The relationships between work or unemployment and health have been well documented.  Unemployment is associated with a higher risk of premature death and increased mental health problems.  Job insecurity is also damaging to health, and has been linked to higher rates of hospital admissions, increases in heart disease and deterioration in mental health. In addition to these quantified relationships between unemployment and health, the presence or absence of employment has a range of consequences for people's lives, materially, socially and psychologically. 

The information contained here is intended to be used to:

• Enable and encourage discussions about work between health professionals and patients.
• Enable onward signposting of patients to support and services which may be able to assist them in remaining in, or returning to, work.
• Enable health professionals to be better informed to answer any work related questions asked by patients or to signpost them to where the answer can be found.
• Encourage professional development in the area of health and work.
• Ensure health professionals have up to date information around the health and work agenda, locally and nationally.

Contents

• Employability Pathways
  • Assistance with appropriate signposting based on patients stage on the 'employability pathway'
  • Prompt questions based on the patient's stage on the 'employability pathway'
• Health and Work Brief Intervention 
• Information and Support for Health Professionals
  • Learning and development opportunities related to Health and Work
  • Sources of support/ information for health professionals
  • Links to local and national information 

Useful Contacts

Claire Brown
Health Works Project Manager
01224 558531/ 07876258705
c.brown5@nhs.net