The Keep Britain Working review has shed valuable light on the number of working-age adults in the UK who are out of work due to ill health (Addressing the UK's unemployment problem will cost employers £6 billion a year, a report said on 5 November.). As part of this, we must also specifically recognize the impact of women's health issues and the role of employers in addressing them.
In a report from the NHS Confederation, in partnership with our trust, we found that it is estimated that £11 billion lost every year due to absenteeism only due to gynecological diseases. And at the beginning of this year our research found that 15% of women reported having to switch to part-time work, and 14% were forced to leave their jobs due to the women's health conditions. Additionally, 32% of women reported that they do not receive enough health support from their employers.
It is therefore vital that employers take urgent action. For too long, women have faced persistent inequalities in their career aspirations, and a lack of reproductive health support is one such barrier.
It is positive to see that the review highlights the impact of poor health in the UK workforce, and the investment it recommends from employers could prove transformative. We also welcome the government's plans to resume women's health strategywhich could provide employers with the guidance they need to better support women's health in the workplace. Together these two commitments could really boost the UK economy.
Professor Gita Nargund
Founder of the Create Health Foundation
