The March 2026 update to the Keep Britain Working Review marks a significant moment in the national response to rising economic inactivity. As noted in the compilation of sector responses, the Review has become “one of the most galvanising government-based reports in a long time,” prompting widespread engagement across professional bodies and employers. The update sets out a clearer roadmap for the three‑year Vanguard Phase, with a focus on the Healthy Working Lifecycle, Workplace Health Provision, and the creation of the Workplace Health Intelligence Unit (WHIU). 

iOH welcomes the ambition and the recognition that workplace health is central to economic productivity. However, while the update strengthens the structural framework, it still underplays the essential role of clinical and allied health professionals in delivering safe, evidence‑based workplace health interventions.

A strong strategic direction, but still progress to be made

The update rightly identifies the need for a shared responsibility model, shifting workplace health from an NHS‑centric approach to one where employers, employees and health services collaborate. The Healthy Working Lifecycle standard, now being drafted through employer-led sprints, is a promising mechanism for embedding prevention, stay‑in‑work support, return‑to‑work pathways and disability inclusion.

Yet, as the previous iOH response emphasised, the report still requires integration of professional occupational health and wellbeing expertise as critical components of the solution. Employers such as TfL, Siemens and Google leading thematic sprints, need explicit clinical leadership to produce standards that are operationally ambitious and clinically robust.

• iOH observation: The number of occupational health and wellbeing providers, now listed as Vanguard organisations, has risen and therefore there is the opportunity to hear the voice of professionals, as advances are made.

Workplace Health Provision, a welcome framework but with unresolved risks

The update’s commitment to defining quality criteria for workplace health provision is encouraging. The framing continues to lean heavily toward non‑clinical case management, without clarifying when and how clinical assessment, diagnosis, or rehabilitation expertise should be integrated.

Our members, nurses, physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and wellbeing specialists, are already delivering the prevention, early intervention and return‑to‑work outcomes the Review seeks. A system that does not embed their expertise risks creating parallel, less safe pathways. (iOH, 2025)

• iOH optimism: Proactively, the DWP is behind the FOM’s launch of the College of Work and Health. iOH is represented through a trustee board member alongside the FOM, organisations such as CIPD, The Colt Foundation and the GMB, provides an opportunity to align the role of workplace health qualified practitioners with those who are not clinicians delivering work and health advice. Allowing this to lead to an alignment between clinicians and non-clinicians, creating standards and competencies will help with a tiered approach to effective interventions.

Data for the WHIU essential, but must be clinically informed

The establishment of the Work and Health Intelligent Unit and the data sprint led by EDF represent major steps forward. Aggregated employer data, benchmarking and outcome measurement are long overdue. Bringing in clinical interpretation will be key to interpreting accurate conclusions.

• iOH recommendation: The next steps will be to embed clinical governance, consent, and escalation into the processes and thereby address concerns echoed across the previously published compilation of responses.

Vanguard Phase promising but needs workforce strategy

• IOH recommendation: Invest in training, recruitment and retention, to enable the ambitions of the Vanguard Phase to be realised at scale. (iOH, 2026)

Conclusion

The March 2026 update outlines clear deliverables for 2026–2028 and strengthens the strategic architecture and demonstrates genuine momentum. Its success will depend on workplace health being seen as an organisational and clinical and behavioural challenge. Our multidisciplinary OH community stands ready to support the Vanguard Phase. We urge policymakers to embed clinical expertise, strengthen governance, and invest in the workforce required to deliver meaningful, safe and sustainable change. We look forward to the governance and standards the College of Work and Health can deliver for all those delivering work and health.