Over a million more people are out of the UK workforce due to sickness than in 2020: PwC
The UK has sleepwalked into a crisis where ill health is now the number one reason people can’t work, says Katie Johnston, Local and Devolved Government Leader for PwC.
Commenting on the government’s new 10-year Health Strategy, Johnston noted that over a million more people are out of the workforce due to sickness than in 2020, which is draining billions from the economy and wasting opportunities for people to thrive.
“The 10-Year Plan finally confronts the question ignored for too long: why doesn’t our health system help keep people in work? If a patient walks out of a GP surgery and ends up on long-term benefits, the system has failed twice,” she said.
“The NHS must do more than treat symptoms. It must drive recovery, not just medical, but economic. Employment must be a core health outcome, embedded from primary care to mental health to digital services.”
But this can’t fall on the NHS alone. Employers are also on the hook, said Johnston. “Local services must connect. And citizens need the right support and the right expectations. This isn’t just about getting people off benefits,” she said.
“It’s about giving people back purpose, pride and a future. A modern health system must help people not just survive, but belong, contribute, and work their way to recovery.”
Funding to be the real test
The real test of the NHS 10 Year Plan will be whether it’s matched by sustainable funding, said Iain Alexander, Health Industries Leader at PwC. Without long-term investment, even the most ambitious reforms risk falling flat, he warned.
“NHS organisations are walking a tightrope: trying to recover services while managing deep financial constraints. The challenge isn’t just balancing the books – it’s shifting spending from crisis response to long-term transformation. That’s where the real value lies,” he said.
“Crucially, funding flows must evolve to support new models of care. Clarity on who commissions services and who is accountable for delivery is critical amid uncertainty around NHS England and ICBs. Governance and financial reform must go hand in hand.”
