A £1 million fund is to be given towards new ideas to boost health and welfare at work for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – as the importance of occupational health is again a focus for Ministers.

Successful bidders will receive up to £100,000 to back their projects from 19 May 2023, with the Government looking for innovative solutions to drive better access for SMEs and the self-employed to Occupational Health (OH) services.

Applicants are being required to show how they would deliver improvements to OH, harnessing technology such as artificial intelligence or data collection, to deliver better health outcomes for employees of SMEs.

The initiative is a joint venture between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), and applications are being accepted until March 15.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, commented: “Good occupational health within workplaces is vital in supporting our overall health and standard of living. We spend so much of our lives at work, and it is imperative that our employers can give us the support we need to maintain our physical and mental health. This in turn means we can give our best at work.

“Through the launch of our new £1 million fund, I look forward to seeing innovative, workable solutions to help SMEs deliver the best for their employees, creating healthier, welfare-driven working environments that will ultimately drive growth and improve people’s working lives.”

As the Government pushes for new ideas around occupational health it’s important to remember to take care of your own workforce. Citi Health provides full occupational health assessments for your staff which are easy to organise, professionally conducted and utterly comprehensive – just get in touch to find out how we can help.