Work as a Health Outcome in the Devolved Nations

Mark Weston & Julia Manning

How Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland tackle sickness-related worklessness

Sickness-related worklessness is a blight for many individuals, families, communities and economies. Being forced out of work or unable to find employment because of illness or disability can be a disaster for many. It can set them on a downhill path of benefit dependency, isolation from society, spiraling mental and physical health problems and poverty.

In this report 2020health looks at how Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are addressing the sickness-absence issue. Efforts in the devolved nations are more advanced than those in England, and each boasts innovative programs that provide useful lessons for English HWBs.