As the number of economically inactive people continues to rise, and government pressure mounts to bring more individuals back into the workforce, both industry and employers are set to place renewed focus on this challenge in the year ahead.
RedArc predicts that forward-thinking employers will start working towards the measures recommended in the Keep Britain Working review and will need additional support to implement them, in particular, case management, which will form the foundation of Workplace Health Provision (WHP) services.
Although many organisations are doing their utmost to offer a wide range of benefits and support - from virtual GPs to EAPs to standalone interventions – the Keep Britain Working review noted that these provisions often operate in isolation, and a more integrated approach is required to be effective. As such, holistic support that is tailored is expected to gain prominence, and case management will be required to ensure support is effective.
However, most employers are not fully equipped to deliver effective case management in-house. According to RedArc, doing so would place additional pressure on their day-to-day operations, and many organisations do not employ clinically trained professionals capable of supporting the wide range of conditions employees may face. In addition, employers may not have visibility of individual cases when staff self-refer through third-party employee benefits, making it difficult for them to intervene. Self-referral can also mean that people don’t choose the care they need, or know what’s available, potentially delaying access to the most appropriate support.
With this in mind, RedArc predicts that employers will need, and seek out, independent, clinical case management to ensure that every employee - including those with disabilities or long-term health conditions - receives the most suitable pathway and care at the right time.
"During 2026, we’ll see a move away from today’s fragmented landscape of standalone services towards a more integrated model, with a clinical case manager coordinating that support," Christine Husbands, commercial consultant at RedArc, said.
"When employers are faced with the complexity of managing multiple employees with differing needs across multiple providers, the need will be crystal clear. Increasingly, we expect to see more employers choose a single expert clinical case management provider as they recognise the value of professional guidance in helping their people stay in and return to work with all the benefits that brings for productivity, wellbeing and organisational resilience," Christine continued.
