The Keep Britain Working review finally says out loud what so many of us in health and employability have understood for years: Britain doesn’t just have a jobs problem. It has a health problem. And until we treat the two as connected, we will continue losing good people long before they ever officially leave the labour market.
Work and Health Are Not Separate Worlds
At AKG Health, we see this every day. People who want to work, but can’t see a path forwards because of chronic pain, anxiety, low confidence, stress, or simply the exhaustion that comes from navigating fragmented support systems.
Wellbeing has never been a pre-work luxury. It’s the foundation that makes work possible, sustainable, and worth doing.
What the Review Calls For
The review promotes a Healthy Working Lifecycle centred on prevention, early intervention and integrated support.
This is not new thinking to us. It’s the model we’ve been building for years.
When someone receives support that recognises both their health and their aspirations for work, change becomes not only achievable, but lasting.
Where Employers Play a Critical Role
For many employers, supporting employee wellbeing can feel complex or uncertain. Conditions vary. Needs differ. There is no one template.
But the truth is this: the number of employees with no health needs is shrinking.
Today’s workforce is diverse in ability, experience and support requirements. That diversity is not a challenge to manage. It’s a strength to design around.
I genuinely believe there is a place for everyone in the workforce. Right now, our systems don’t always reflect that. That is what must change.
What Integrated Support Can Achieve
In 2025, our team supported 3,107 people through 8,446 individual interventions including health coaching, counselling, wellbeing checks and group programmes.
As a result:
• 69% reported improved symptom management
• 85% made positive lifestyle changes
• 20% moved into work within 12 weeks
But these numbers only hint at the real story.
A man living with chronic pain who found work that accommodates his reality.
A woman who began to see herself as capable again.
A young adult managing anxiety who now supports others.
These are not statistics. They are turning points.
This Requires More Than Awareness Campaigns
If the UK wants workplaces that retain and support people, we must look beyond posters and wellbeing weeks.
It means:
• Investing in support before crisis hits
• Making wellbeing part of everyday line management
• Embedding inclusion into culture, not paperwork
This is not tweaking at the edges.
It is a re-design of how we understand work itself.
We’re Ready for That Change
At AKG Health, we’re scaling what works: early support, integrated coaching and compassionate approaches that align recovery with employment goals.
If Britain is serious about keeping people working, we must be serious about keeping people well.
Let’s Work Together
If you’re an employer, commissioner or partner who shares this belief, we’d love to collaborate.
Because workplaces where people are well are workplaces where people thrive.
Learn more about AKG Health support
