Fit for Work: Scoping the feasibility of an impact evaluation

Fit for Work was an occupational health assessment and advice service launched in December 2014 and funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to which General Practitioners (GPs) and employers could refer employees on (or at risk of) longterm sickness absence. • Following very low referrals, it was announced that the Fit for Work assessment service would come to an end in England and Wales on 31st March 2018 and 31st May 2018 in Scotland. However, employers, employees and GPs will continue to have access to the same Fit for Work helpline, website and web chat, which offer general health and work advice, as well as support on sickness absence. • The impact feasibility study was completed before the decision was taken to close the service, therefore the options considered were not influenced by this decision. The report also refers to Fit for Work as an ongoing service as that was the status at the time it was written. This report assesses the possible approaches that could be adopted to estimate the impact of the assessment element and/or the assessment and Return to Work Plan (RtWP) elements by comparing a suitable outcome measure (e.g. length of sickness absence, proportion of individuals returning to work after a certain period of time) for both a group of participants and a control group of similar individuals who did not receive the intervention.