A GOVERNMENT scheme to help poorly employees back to work has been rolled out across Durham, Darlington and Teesside this week.

Referrals have just begun for the new service designed to help workers facing long-term sickness return to their jobs more quickly.

The free, voluntary and confidential service, known as Fit for Work, will provide the services of occupational health professionals to employed people if they have been, or are likely to be, off work for a month or more due to illness or related issues.

It means all GPs in Durham, Darlington and Teesside can now refer their employed patients who have been off work for a long period of time to the service, with their consent.

Patients will then benefit from an in-depth consultation, followed by a personalised Return to Work Plan tailored to their needs and support to get back to their job.

Employees can also speak to their GPs to request a referral to the service, which was introduced in North Yorkshire towards the end of May.

Rosamond Roughton, Director of NHS Commissioning, said: “This service will help GPs provide holistic care to their patients, while reducing the pressure of ill health associated with managing people who become long-term unemployed.”

The voluntary service is intended to help the tens of thousands of people across the region each year who are on long term sickness from work.

It will also help employers to reduce the impact of long-term sickness absence on their businesses.

Each year 11 million workers in the UK experience sickness absence.

Less than a million of these people end up being absent for at least a month or more but research shows that without the proper support, a high proportion will fail to return to their jobs.