The report Taking the strain: the impact of musculoskeletal disorders on work and home life has warned that a lack of positive practice to support people with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in work is leaving many at risk of lost earnings, reduced productive working and early retirement, with an accompanying strain on both household incomes and on the UK welfare system.
In the survey of 809 people in the UK living with MSD,it claims that they are the leading cause of people going onto Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
The report found that over half of employed respondents reported a loss of earnings due to the condition and three quarters of retired respondents said their condition had influenced their decision to retire, with the majority having left the labour market before reaching the age of fifty-five.
It also claims that despite MSDs being the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK, the clinical support available to individuals with MSDs is often insufficient to keep them in work.
Director at The Work Foundation, Stephen Bevan, said: "Improving labour productivity and helping employers retain valuable skills are key to the economic recovery. Policymakers need to ensure public services are co-ordinated in their approach to supporting employment of people with long-term conditions.
"It is troubling that despite 'work' being one of the indicators of the NHS Outcomes Framework, only a third of respondents had had return-to-work conversations with health care professionals."
Chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Ailsa Bosworth, said: "The Government's reforms are supposed to help people with long-term conditions return to work, but this survey shows people with MSDs aren't receiving the support they need.
"This needs a concerted effort across government departments to incentivise the NHS to get more involved in helping patients stay in work, so that patients and their families keep their heads above water."
