Employment: Advisory Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what engagement he has had with (a) the BMA and (b) GP surgeries on embedding employment advisers in GP surgeries.
Answered by Sir Stephen Timms
With 2.8 million people out of work due to health conditions, Connect to Work is part of the Government’s plan to get Britain working again. Connect to Work is designed to give local areas considerable flexibility in determining how they deliver it, including decisions about integration into health care settings.
Connect to Work is rolling out across all areas of England and Wales. As of 12 November 2025, 23 of the 49 delivery areas have a live service funded by Connect to Work. Every delivery area is expected to be open for participants by early 2026. Further details will be set out as more areas go live.
JobCentre Plus sites also have discretion to co-locate work coaches and Disability Employment Advisers, in health settings (including GP surgeries) with agreements made locally.
The Department has a regular quarterly GP forum that includes the BMA and representative bodies for GPs where Employment Support policies and programmes are discussed. There is a DWP Chief medical Advisor Clinical Advisory Group and ad hoc meetings focussed to discuss GP involvement in health and work policy.
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