NHS Confederation responds to new analysis showing 300,000 people a year leave the workforce and report ill health

Responding to the Health Foundation's analysis showing that each year around 300,000 people leave the workforce and report having a work-limiting health condition Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“This new report lays bare the sheer number of people reporting having work-limiting health conditions who are leaving the workforce. It is yet more evidence of the increasing impact of ill health in this country.

“It is clear that supporting people to continue working when they can is vital for the country’s economy. Part of this is tackling NHS waiting lists so that people can get back to work, but a whole-government approach is needed as only 20% of our health is determined by healthcare, with the remaining 80% affected by wider determinants. 

“Our recent analysis with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shows that reintegrating between half and three-quarters of people who have dropped out of the workforce for reasons of ill health since 2020 could deliver an estimated £109-177 billion boost to the UK’s GDP (2-3 per cent in 2029) and unlock £35-57 billion in fiscal revenue over the next five years. 

“We welcomed the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s pledge that his department will deliver billions of pounds in economic growth. But reform will not come for free.

“What we also want to see is cross-government co-operation, collaboration and investment on health policy, recognising that most policy that impacts people’s health is made outside the NHS. This should be focused not just on the health service, but across the social determinants of health to improve the health of our nation as part of the prevention agenda that Lord Darzi's recent report on the NHS rightly underscores.”