Why ill health is keeping people out of work and what can be done to tackle it

For this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor is joined by former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield. They discuss the thorny issue of ill health pushing millions of Britons out of work, and what can be done to tackle it. Mayfield’s recently published government review, which addresses the issue of worklessness and laying out some of the measures needed to deal with the problem, includes a greater role for employers in supporting the health of staff. The conversation explores why economic inactivity due to poor health has surged post COVID-19, and what this means for individuals, employers, and the UK economy. They also touch on how supportive workplaces can keep people healthy, engaged, and in work, to the benefit of everyone. According to Mayfield, the solution isn’t just about the NHS or personal responsibility. Instead, his report calls for a new partnership between employers, individuals and health services to focus on prevention and early intervention. We also hear from Sarah Walter, director of our ICS Network and interim deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, to discuss the latest state of ICSs report. The report found that while four in five ICS leaders are confident their system can fulfil their four core purposes, they also believe NHS reorganisation has created a significant distraction and barrier to systems' progress. Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Why ill health is keeping people out of work and what can be done to tackle it is an episode from Health On The Line by NHS Confederation.

This episode is 40:07 long.

This episode was published on Nov 12, 2025.

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