FOI 2025/1476

I am a PhD researcher at the University of Warwick. I am requesting Freedom of Information about return-to-work (RTW) provisions or interventions available to NHS staff employed within your system (ICB/ICS) who are out of work or at risk of long-term sickness absence due to long-term health conditions. This request concerns staff support not patient services.
I understand that a return-to-work meeting is typically held after a staff member has been on sick leave for more than 14 days. Please provide:
1) Documents
Copies/links for any policies, pathways, SOPs, service specifications, hub pages, or staff-intranet content that describe Return to Work support offered to your staff (including eligibility, access/referral routes, components, delivery model, and any KPIs/monitoring you use).
2) Data
For any Return-to-Work programme(s) either previously operating and still operating, in your system. Please provide annual totals for each available year (e.g., 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 to date):
• Provision name
• Referrals/contacts, eligible, started, completed
• RTW rate at 3 months; retention at 6 months (if recorded)
• Sickness-absence days (pre vs post) among staff (if recorded)
• Any routine breakdowns (e.g., staff group/band, site, condition group)
• Approximate programme cost (staffing WTE/band mix; external tariffs), if available.

1. Please find attached the NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) Health and Attendance Policy, How to Log a Return to Work into ESR (Electronic Staff Record) and also our Return-to-Work Form that managers complete once an employee has returned from sick leave. NHS GM does not hold any other documents relating to return to work (RTW).

** PDF documents were sent to the requester with this response.  Unfortunately, we are unable to add these onto the website.  If you require a copy of the full response, together with the PDF documents, please contact the FOI team directly on nhsgm.foi@nhs.net

2. A breakdown of the RTW dates entered over the periods requested is attached below. Please note that NHS GM does not hold the detail or types of information being requested in ESR (our employee management system), only the dates any RTW meeting may have taken place, and the line manager has stated on the absence episode record.
** An excel sheet was sent to the requester with this response.  Unfortunately, we are unable to add this onto the website.  If you require a copy of the full response, together with the excel sheet, please contact the FOI team directly on nhsgm.foi@nhs.net