Integrated Fit to Work Service
Empowering Resilience and Reducing Sickness Absence
The Challenge
Over 2.8 million people in the UK are currently out of work due to long-term sickness, with the UK being the only G7 nation experiencing a fall in employment in recent years.
The government’s “Get Britain Working” white paper highlights a new approach – prioritising support for people outside the workforce and helping those with long-term conditions to stay in work.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is one of the leading causes of sickness absence, accounting for over 32% of economic inactivity (ONS, 2025). With limited access to specialist care and 90% of fit notes stating individuals are unfit for work, many people are being signed off unnecessarily and not receiving the appropriate support to stay in or return to work.
Our Response
Building on our expertise in First Contact Physiotherapy (delivered in over 250 PCNs nationwide), physiotherapy, and chronic pain, we offer an Integrated Fit to Work Pathway that connects physiotherapy, functional restoration, and health coaching into one seamless service. We integrate with local employment advisors and work well services to help people stay in sustainable employment or get back to work, providing the link between health improvement and return to work services.
Our model is flexible, scalable, and tailored to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) or neighbourhood needs. It combines:
- First Contact Practitioners (FCPs) – Rapid triage, MSK assessment, and fit note management.
- Physiotherapy – Targeted rehabilitation to reduce pain and restore function.
- Functional Restoration Programmes – Building strength, confidence, and work readiness.
- 1:1 Health Coaching – Supporting mindset, motivation, and behaviour change.
- Pain Cafés & Group Support – Fostering peer connection and sustained progress.
This whole-person approach ensures each individual receives the right support at the right time.
Empowering People Through Personalised Care
Pure Unity Health has vast experience in delivering first class physiotherapy and innovative chronic pain support services utilising specialist health coaches that focus on a personalised approach to empower individuals to regain function and take control of their lives.
Delivered within Primary Care Networks (PCNs), our services use evidence-based, non-pharmacological approaches grounded in pain science education and behaviour change.
This model helps people regain control, independence, and confidence to return to meaningful activity and work.
Real Impact, Proven Results
Independent evaluations across multiple PCNs, including Warrington Innovation Network and Nuneaton & Bedworth, demonstrate measurable change:
- 58% increase in confidence to work
- 75% increase in pain self-efficacy
- 79% increase in confidence to achieve life goals
- 102% increase in belief they can live a normal life
- 48% increase in confidence to be active
- 39% reduction in GP appointments
These outcomes show a powerful shift towards self-management, independence, and improved wellbeing, enabling people to move beyond chronic pain and re-engage with work.
Case Study: Driving Innovation in South Yorkshire
As part of the Growth Accelerator Trailblazer Pilot, Pure Unity Health is helping people with long-term pain reconnect with work and community life.
This pioneering initiative is working with the ICB and GP federation targeting people currently off work with MSK pain proactively through the GP practice. Pure Unity Health are providing an end to end service from initial FCP triage, through to the most appropriate treatment pathway.
All services are fully integrated into the same system for easy data capture and patients are able to access individualised coaching, group support, physiotherapy, and functional restoration programmes, depending on their specific needs, aiming to:
- Reduce long-term sickness absence
- Support sustainable return to work
- Integrate with local services
This trailblazer pilot aims to demonstrate how integrated pathways can reduce the personal and economic impact of chronic MSK conditions, creating lasting change for individuals, communities, and health systems.
Partner with Us
At Pure Unity Health, we are committed to working collaboratively with NHS commissioners, ICBs, and PCNs to design services that empower people, reduce sickness absence, and improve population health outcomes.
If you’d like to explore how our Integrated Fit to Work Service can support your system’s goals, please contact us for an initial discussion.