Funding boost for GP practices to help people back to work

People with health conditions are to be supported back to work, through a pilot programme across GP practices in 15 regions, the government has announced.

The WorkWell Primary Care Innovation Fund, backed by £1.5 million, will look at ways to help 56,000 disabled people and people with health conditions into work by Spring 2026, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said last week.

First announced in November 2023, the Workwell sites are made up of ICBs, local authorities, job centres, and third sector provision and the new funding, with each site receiving £100,000, needs to be spent in the PCNs based within those WorkWell areas.

Funded by DHSC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the pilot is part of ‘wider efforts to get the NHS back on its feet, reduce economic inactivity, and grow the economy by supporting more people into work and out of poverty as part of its Plan for Change’, DHSC stated adding that, ‘Currently, of the 11 million fit notes issued electronically in primary care across England last year, 93% simply declared people ‘not fit for work’ – offering no constructive alternative or support pathway’.

The pilots are aimed are giving patients ‘targeted and timely support to manage their health condition while exploring realistic options for staying in or returning to work, rather than facing a dead-end ‘not fit for work’ declaration,’ DHSC states.

Minister for Health, Ashley Dalton, said: ‘Primary care networks are uniquely positioned to deliver this transformation because you already know your patients, their health conditions, and their local communities better than anyone else. You understand the complex interplay between someone’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and their ability to work. That holistic view is exactly what we need to move beyond the current system of simply signing people off. 

‘We know that 90% of fit notes are currently issued by GPs, adding to the administrative burden that’s already overwhelming primary care. This pilot will show how PCN-based teams can take on this work more effectively, freeing up GP time for clinical care while delivering much better outcomes for patients. 

‘The evidence from these 15 pilots will be crucial in shaping how we roll this out nationally. Primary care has always been about treating the whole person in the context of their community– this funding just gives you the tools to extend that approach to helping people stay in or return to meaningful work. That’s prevention in action, and it’s exactly the kind of care our patients deserve.’ 

Interventions via the scheme could include:

• Hiring work and health coaches, social prescribers, or occupational therapists for GP teams to refer patients to for holistic support, help and advice, from gym memberships to career coaching.
• Supporting and upskilling occupational therapists or physiotherapists to issue fit notes and improve the quality of work and health advice given to a patient.
• Upskilling GPs and wider GP teams to improve their ability to support patients with local work and health advice.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘This pilot is a step towards transforming a broken system that’s been failing people for years. It isn’t just about freeing up GPs to treat patients rather than fill in forms. It’s about fundamentally changing the conversation from ‘you can’t’ to ‘how can we help you?’ When someone walks into their doctor’s surgery worried about their job, they should walk out with a plan, not just a piece of paper that closes doors.

‘We can’t afford to keep writing people off. Every person we help back into work isn’t just transforming their own life – they’re contributing to our communities, our economy, and breaking the cycle that’s been holding Britain back. This is what building an NHS fit for the future through our Plan for Change looks like.’

He also highlighted that although a range of healthcare professionals can issue fit notes, 90% issued electronically in primary care in England last year were issued by doctors – adding to GP workload pressures.

‘Instead GPs spending valuable consultation time on administrative fit note processes, WorkWell sites will use this funding to explore how specialist professionals like pharmacists and occupational therapists can provide comprehensive support that benefits patients, employers, and reduces pressure on primary care services,’ he said adding that the plan supports 10 Year Health Plan commitment to embed employment advice within new Neighbourhood Health Services.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: ‘With 2.8 million people currently out of work due to health conditions, this pilot will take a crucial step toward breaking the cycle of poor health and poverty that holds back people’s lives and economic growth.’

The WorkWell scheme was originally announced November 2023 as a way to reform the fit note process ‘to make it easier and quicker’ for people to get ‘specialised’ work and health support and in May 2024 the £64m of funding across these same 15 areas was announced.

A version of this article was first published by our sister title Pulse PCN.