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Occupational health services are being transformed through a £1.5 million innovation fund as the government seeks to harness cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence to tackle workplace disease and boost economic activity.
Five pioneering projects will benefit from a funding allocation of £1.5 million, which aims to improve tailored occupational health services for small and medium-sized businesses. This revolution is based on artificial intelligence and new technological advancements and includes expansion of remote services, digital health hubs, and dedicated support for long-COVID patients.
The plan has reached a critical point as the number of individuals inactive due to long-term illness has soared by 735,000 since the start of the pandemic. As part of the government's wider strategy to reduce economic activity, these occupational health reforms aim to empower thousands more individuals to thrive at work.
The allocated funds will power five selected projects to pioneer innovative approaches to improving occupational health services, with the ultimate goal of scaling these solutions for accessibility to small and medium-sized businesses, facilitating their ability to effectively support their workforce. It will.
Among the success stories, Kinseed Limited stands out with “MediWork”, a groundbreaking cloud-based occupational health platform designed to provide employers with powerful tools to protect and improve the health and well-being of their employees. Leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics, MediWork monitors individuals' health trends, detects early indicators of health problems, and provides personalized recommendations to promote workplace wellness. This technology will not only help clinicians do their jobs more efficiently, but it will also revolutionize our approach to workplace health care.
The technological innovations fostered through this funding have the potential to open opportunities to improve both workplace productivity and employee wellbeing. As governments step up efforts to strengthen health and employment supports, these developments aim to alleviate inactivity and foster a healthier, more productive workforce.
Employment Secretary Jo Churchill said:
Sickness leave costs UK businesses £100 billion every year. Innovative solutions developed through this funding will benefit businesses by leveraging AI and technology to support a healthier, more productive workforce.
Through our Return to Work Plan and the Occupational Health Taskforce, we are reducing inactivity and helping people reach their potential both at work and in everyday life.
Pal Bhusate, CEO of Kinseed Limited, added:
We're excited to use cutting-edge technologies in AI and cloud systems to help people stay healthy and safe at work. And these funds have been absolutely critical to enabling us to do exactly that.
Supporting small and medium-sized businesses in these areas is the only way for industries like ours to quickly adapt to and gain value from these exciting developments. It's great to see positive, proactive support from government to encourage agility and innovation.
Before the pandemic, there was a significant decline in economic inactivity among more than 850,000 individuals in the UK. Despite this progress, our country's inactivity rate is currently lower than the average of G7, EU, and OECD countries. Despite this, a significant proportion of the population, including younger groups, are being excluded from work due to long-term illness, mainly due to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
As long-term illness emerges as a major cause of economic inactivity among working-age individuals, the importance of occupational health services to promote workplace support to manage employees' health conditions is becoming paramount. Addressing this problem effectively could help reduce the number of economically inactive individuals.
However, access to occupational health services remains limited, with only 45% of UK workers having any form of access. Alarmingly, around 1.8 million workers reported work-related illnesses in 2022/23. Recognizing this gap, governments are working with businesses to better understand employee health, provide tailored support, and leverage new technologies to combat long-term illnesses to promote workforce retention and success.
To tackle these issues head-on, the government has introduced comprehensive reforms, including the establishment of WorkWell services and an additional £2.3 billion in annual mental health funding in England. These initiatives aim to empower individuals to realize their potential and receive the support they need, both financially and mentally, to succeed in the workplace.
The creation of the Occupational Health Innovation Fund and the launch of the Occupational Health Taskforce represent important steps forward in expanding the Government's total £2.5 billion return to work plan. This holistic strategy aims to support more than one million individuals, including those struggling with mental health issues, to overcome barriers to employment. Utilizing resources such as NHS Talk Therapy, Individual Placement and Support, Restart and the Universal Support Programme, the initiative seeks to promote a smooth transition into the workforce and continued engagement.
Helen Whately MP, Minister for Health and Social Care, said:
Every year, thousands of people take time off work or quit their jobs altogether due to poor health. But at the same time, there are millions of people working with health problems who are supported by occupational health services.
We want more people to be able to benefit from occupational health support, especially those working in small businesses or the self-employed. That's why we're investing in innovative approaches to occupational health. This goes hand in hand with plans for WorkWell and Fit Note reforms to help people get support to keep working.
A healthy economy depends on a healthy workforce. Ensuring people are healthy and able to continue working is vital for individuals, businesses and the country as a whole.
Armor Labs Limited is leading the initiative to develop a bespoke digital health hub for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed individuals. Their goal is to lower barriers to entry into occupational health services by reducing costs.
Armor Labs Limited plans to work with digital health service providers to integrate these services into comprehensive health plans for employees across the UK. These health plans will be easily accessible through an online portal and soon-to-be-launched mobile application, ushering in a new era of efficiency and accessibility in occupational health support.
Aleezay Malik, CEO of Armor Labs Ltd, added:
Armor Labs is building a digital marketplace where employers can procure and distribute occupational health services that meet the diverse and individual needs of their employees.
With support from this fund, we are currently in the process of testing and launching our solution in the market. This will not only make occupational health more accessible and affordable for companies, but it is also expected to reduce absenteeism due to illness by 30%.
Last February, the government began establishing the Occupational Health Taskforce, led by Dame Carol Black, to increase employers' understanding of the benefits of implementing occupational health practices in the workplace.
The task force is actively creating an occupational health framework designed to help companies prevent job losses due to illness and ensure smooth reintegration of employees into the workplace after an illness outbreak. This voluntary framework, expected to be launched this summer, promises to provide valuable guidance to businesses looking to prioritize the health and wellbeing of their employees.
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