Review of the Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Interventions, Strategies, Programmes and Policies to Help Recipients of Incapacity Benefits Return to Employment (Paid and Unpaid)

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was asked by the Department of Health to develop guidance for primary care services and employers on the management of long-term sickness and incapacity. The guidance provides recommendations for good practice based on the best available evidence of effectiveness and cost effectiveness.

The scope of this guidance has been defined by NICE in consultation with a stakeholder group composed of health professionals, research organisations and academic institutions, national organisations representing patients, carers or the public and providers of health services and statutory organisations.

Specifically, this review addressed the following primary research question:

What UK primary care-based interventions, programmes, policies or strategies are effective and cost-effective in helping those in receipt of incapacity benefit to return to full or part time employment? These could be delivered by a number of sectors (such as voluntary or education sectors) in collaboration with, and/or funded by, employers and primary care services.