Here are two funding opportunities that Council members may be interested in:

UKR Creating opportunities – rethinking economic inactivity

NIHR Work and Health Research Awards

A new “Keep Britain Working” review has been launched [Friday 24 January] to explore how to urgently support people with long-term illnesses or disabilities back into work, and to stay in work

The launch of an independent review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, which will publish recommendations to the government, is due to be published in the late summer or early autumn.

The Council would like to encourage our members to access the Discovery document once it is published and contribute where able.

This will be an important piece of work to support individuals better in the work and health space.

To see the announcement of this review, please click here.

You can view the NSPH Spring Newsletter here

To view our April 2025 Newsletter click here.

To see our February Newsletter click here

Click here to see our March Newsletter

Briefing on Helping Women Thrive in Work

Helping women thrive in work: making women’s and reproductive health a key priority

The CIPD and SOM have created the open letter below to Alison McGovern, MP regarding Women’s Health at Work.    If you wish to sign the letter please contact Claire Mathys on claire.mathys@impactpolicy.co.uk;

Alison McGovern MP
Department for Work and Pensions Caxton House
Tothill Street
London SW1H 9NA

Dear Alison McGovern,

Women’s and reproductive health in the workplace

March 2025

We are writing to you about the need for Government action to help women thrive in the workplace through better support of their health or reproductive challenges, which not only affect their wellbeing but holds back economic growth.

Many women drop out of the workforce or are held back from career development due to health or reproductive issues, such as menopause transition, fertility challenges, pregnancy and baby loss, and musculoskeletal disorders and mental health issues which disproportionately affect women. Yet this is not inevitable and much can be done to improve support for women in the workplace, increasing economic participation as well as reducing gender inequality.

The NHS Confederation report, Women’s Health Economics: investing in the 51%, highlights the significant economic impact of neglecting women’s health. It highlights that inadequate support for conditions like menopause, endometriosis, and severe period pain costs the UK economy nearly £11 billion annually and unemployment due to menopause symptoms alone results in a £1.5 billion annual loss, with around 60,000 women affected.

However, with supportive employer policies, appropriate healthcare and better societal awareness many of the problems can be tackled, keeping more women in productive work in which they can thrive and progress.

We, the undersigned, are committed to playing our part in this mission and ask you to take action by:

1. Launching a review of women’s and reproductive health in the workplace to identify the economic opportunities for strengthening support, guidance and enforcement of current regulations, followed by an action plan;
2. Initiating a high-profile campaign to motivate and give confidence to employers to develop working environments that provide understanding, flexibility and occupational health support for women’s health issues across the life course; and
3. Widening access to occupational health services for those in and out of work to support people to remain in, or return to, appropriate work in which they can manage their health conditions.

These actions would help to increase the economic participation of women and further the Government’s ambitious growth agenda and 80% employment target, opening up new opportunities for women so they can manage their work and health and thrive in the workplace.

We would be delighted to meet with you to discuss this further and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
[names of Parliamentarians, logos of organisations]

Attached is the Council’s response to the Get Britain Working White Paper.

20241213 Council for Work and Health statement on the Get Britain Working White Paper November 2024

12 December 2024

ACPOHE:   Fit Note resources developed by ACPOHE

(October 2023)

NEW Fit note resources to help awareness of the importance of supporting patients back to work

ACPOHE is pleased to showcase our new set of resources, available to download from our Work & Health Learning and Development Hub –  (click Free Guest Access and go to Resource Library).

There is more information below, and all resources are on the ACPOHE website:  https://acpohe.csp.org.uk/content/new-fit-note-resources-help-awareness-importance-supporting-patients-back-work

Resources include:

1. A 6-minute podcast to outline our new resources and why they are important
2. A video (to play on screen in GP reception waiting rooms) to help manage patient expectations of ‘fit note’ certification.  This is 1 minute in length.
3. A 2-minute video aimed at increasing awareness to GPs of the role of FCPs, particularly around work conversations and completion of the fit note. Please share this with the GPs you work alongside.
4. An 8-minute training video, which is a reminder of the importance of keeping people at work to help health outcomes (aimed at GPs, FCPs, other healthcare workers in primary care.
5. Infographics to patients on what is the fit note, and how to get the most out of your fit note (ideal for notice boards within GP practices).
6. Infographics to healthcare professionals on completing the fit note (a quick easy reminder to all involved in completing the fit note).
7. Completed fit notes, with audio presentation on a variety of case studies.