Working Health Services Scotland (Fit For Work Service)

Dame Carol Black's Review estimated the costs to the economy of working age ill-health in terms of working days lost and worklessness in Great Britain are over £100bn each year.

Working Health Services Scotland (Fit for Work Service) is a Scotland Wide Pilot funded by Scottish Government and Department of Work & Pensions until March 2011.

Salus NHS Lanarkshire, lead and coordinate the implementation of this programme and oversee the operational activity across all Scottish Health Board Areas. There are presently 3 pilot services in existence: Borders, Dundee and Lothian.

Working Health Services Scotland will assist individuals who work within small to medium enterprises (SME's), in conjunction with their GPs and employers to provide personalised back-to-work support and advice for individuals to remain at work, avoiding sickness absence, and for employees in the early stages of sickness absence to return to work.

This National programme is configured to support over 4,500 individuals across Scotland, maintain work or return to work, following sickness and absence.

This programme is committed to engendering a culture that recognises and supports the fact that for most people work is good for health and returning to work at the appropriate time is part of the recovery process.

The service is expected to compliment and support the forthcoming introduction of the “Fit Note” in April 2010.

The programme will be based on case-managed multidisciplinary support for the employees' recovery, providing help and advice on a range of healthcare, employment, skills, housing and personal issues e.g. debt management etc.

The programme will last 2-12 weeks and will be dependent on the needs of the individual.

What can Working Health Services Scotland help with?
Working Health Services Scotland will provide free confidential health advice and individualised support for people working in small to medium companies across Scotland.

Working Health Services Scotland will assist the individual to better understand and manage their health condition, this includes individuals who present with mild to moderate health conditions, experiencing a level of stress or anxiety that they are struggling to cope with, or for individuals who have issues with pain etc.

Referral Process

Referrals can be received from the individual, or on behalf of the individual via the GP, Health Care Professionals and Partner Agencies using the free phone advice line number 0800 0192211.

For further information please contact;
Patsy Cavanagh, Team Leader, Salus 07909 742 077
Cathy Evans, Senior Case Manager, Salus 07920 089 149