Findings on the health of young people not in work ‘concerning’, say health leaders

Responding to the Health Foundation’s report on more young people reporting health barriers to work to joining the workforce, Rebecca Gray, mental health director speaking on behalf of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said:

“Health leaders know all too well that education, good work and good health go hand in hand.

“Supporting people into work is an important step in helping to reverse the rates of health-related economic inactivity in England, and in turn reducing pressure on the NHS as well as the economy.

“However, these findings on the health of young people not in work are very concerning, and while we know that progress is being made in the NHS' role in tackling economic inactivity, much more needs to be done to address the root causes of ill-health in our communities.

“Government policy makers and health service leaders need to work together to better understand what young people need. While some of that will sit in the NHS, much of it will lie elsewhere.

“Where young people do need clinical care, they must be able to access this in a timely and effective way – excessive waits often entrench and worsen illness and lead to absence from education and reduce the likelihood of them entering the job market. Many of our members are making rapid progress on reducing wating times for children and young people.”