2025 Healthcare Professionals’ Consensus Statement for action on health and work

Improving health and work outcomes for the over 20 million people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in the UK forms a key part of the government's missions to build an NHS fit for the future and kickstart economic growth. Healthcare professionals play a vital prevention and early intervention role in supporting people to self-manage their musculoskeletal (MSK) condition and enabling them to work. The 2025 Healthcare Professionals' Consensus Statement for action on health and work (between the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Royal College of Nursing and Allied Health professions Federation), commits to work over the next five years to support healthcare professionals, to engage more proactively with, and to promote ‘good work as a health outcome' across the health and care sector. This is intended to support patients, including with MSK conditions, to return and remain in good work. The Statement has been endorsed by government.

The role of health professionals in keeping people well in work and enabling return to work

In addition to asking patients what they do for work, and how they are managing it, healthcare professionals may support people in their work as an integral part of patient care pathways. Healthcare professionals can also promote a culture where good work is seen as a benefit to people. Through promoting healthy life choices and lifestyles, healthcare professionals might also contribute to the prevention of ill health and injury, so reducing risk of people falling out of work, as well as supporting people to enter, remain in, or return to work.

Statement for Action: Five principles for all healthcare professionals

We commit to work over the next five years to support healthcare professionals to engage more proactively with, and to celebrate and advance the concept of, ‘good work as a health outcome’ across the health and care sector. We will work together, as individual organisations and collaboratively, to enable every healthcare professional to:
Ask the work question – what do you do for work, how are you managing in work, and what may help you get back to work?

1. Understand through training the importance of work as a health outcome, how health may be promoted through good work, and where to signpost their patients who need further support.
2. Be able to advise their patients through easy access to up to date guidance from Government, professional bodies, and work and health professionals on the impact of health conditions and treatment on their work, and on adjustments to assist those with disabilities.
3. Derive most value from the ‘Fit Note’ in primary care, hospitals and in the community, through training for health professionals, and utilising updated easy to use guidance.
4. Recognise their own role to support healthy and safe working environments, looking after their own health and wellbeing, and promoting the health and wellbeing of their colleagues within the organisations in which they work.