Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work

Resource impact statement

No significant resource impact is anticipated

The NICE guideline on workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work is an update to the former NICE guideline PH19 published in 2009 and replaces it.  

We do not expect this update to have a significant impact on resources; that is:

• the resource impact of implementing any single guideline recommendation in England will be less than £1 million per year (or £1,800 per 100,000 population) and
• the resource impact of implementing the whole guideline in England will be less than £5 million per year (or £9,000 per 100,000 population).

There are no changes in the guideline which have a significant resource impact, but expert opinion suggests that micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises may have resource constraints for the provision of support and structured interventions. The support and structured interventions recommendations are ‘consider’ recommendations, therefore the likely impact is not expected to be significant.   

Workplace health services are commissioned by employers and their workplace representatives. Providers are GPs, secondary care specialists, local authorities and support services for people who are not in work and are receiving benefits because of their health or a disability.

There is a online calculator for employers to assess the potential impact of implementing the guideline.