NHS Plus 'Health for Work Adviceline'

The free Health for Work Adviceline is delivered by NHS Plus^[1] in England for employers of small and medium-sized businesses (up to 250 employees).

It was launched nationally by the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 April 2010, after being piloted in seven regions throughout England from December 6, 2009.^[2]

The adviceline provides NHS Plus occupational health specialists who can advise on individual employee occupational physical or mental health problems, occupational health monitoring, screening and surveillance, lifestyle and well-being issues, absence management and rehabilitation.

The telephone number is 0800 077 8844.

The introduction of the adviceline followed Dame Carol Black’s 2008 Review^[3] ‘Working for a Healthier Tomorrow’. This was the first ever review of its kind on the health of Britain’s working population and it identified a need to provide small firms with more support in dealing with the impact of employee sickness.

The Review also recognised that businesses with a healthy working culture are more able to maintain productivity, reduce absenteeism, aid staff retention, increase staff morale, and develop a healthier environment where illness is less likely to occur.

An occupational health advice line also operates in Scotland and Wales.^[4]

References

1. ^ "NHS Plus". Nhs.uk. http://www.nhsplus.nhs.uk/. Retrieved 2010-06-06. 
2. ^ In England, the free ‘Health for Work Adviceline’ was piloted in East Anglia; Merseyside; North and West Yorkshire; North East; Portsmouth, South Hampshire, East Sussex and Isle of Wight; South Buckinghamshire, South Oxfordshire and West Berkshire; and West London.
3. ^ "Carol Black's Review - Health, Work and Well-being". Workingforhealth.gov.uk. 2008-03-17. http://www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/Carol-Blacks-Review/. Retrieved 2010-06-06. 
4. ^ Scotland: Healthy Working Lives Adviceline–0800 019 2211. www.healthyworkinglives.com; Wales: Health at Work Advice Line Wales–0800 107 0900. www.healthyworkingwales.com