A ‘Fit for Work’ Coalition

Vision

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are a leading cause of disability and inactivity among Europe’s working
age population, and thus have a significant effect on the quality of life of patients and their families as well
as on Governments and society through increased spending on public health and social security.

The vision for Fit for Work is to shift MSDs from disabling conditions to manageable conditions. The
research conducted by The Work Foundation demonstrates that this can be achieved through prevention,
early detection, and appropriate intervention, and better management of MSDs.

The Fit for Work Coalition aims to provide leadership and innovative recommendations with all relevant
stakeholders to reduce the impact of MSDs, and to achieve recognition of MSDs as a health priority at
national, European and global level.

Context

MSDs account for a higher proportion of sickness absence from work than any other health condition. This
puts a significant burden on European society estimated at up to 2% of gross domestic product.*

The European Commission estimates that MSDs account for half of all absences from work and for 60% of
permanent work incapacity. They result in more sickness absence than stress and cost European countries
around 240 billion Euros annually†.

Background

Fit for Work Europe is an initiative committed to working with healthcare professionals, policy makers and
patients and others to help improve the quality of life for people with musculoskeletal disorders through
effective clinical, public health, labour and social policies and practices.

In 2007, the Work Foundation initiated Fit for Work, which aims to raise awareness about early intervention,
treatment and the need for return to work practices to be implemented across Europe. The initiative is
based on the groundbreaking results of original UK research done in 2007, ‘Fit for Work? Musculoskeletal
Disorders and Labour Market Participation’, which demonstrated that improvements in early intervention,
treatment and return to work practices could help people of working age, and suffering from MSDs, to stay
in, or return to, work.

The innovative nature of the study encouraged the extension of the project into 26 countries in the EU and
beyond, based on a research grant from Abbott, – launching Fit for Work Europe. Using secondary data
sources, interviews with national experts, and findings from clinical and economic literature, in September
2009, the more internationally-focused report, ‘Fit for Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders in the European
Workforce’ was launched in the European Parliament. This report analyses the impact of MSDs on the
working lives of millions of European workers, and makes clear recommendations on how relevant
stakeholders, including clinicians, employers, and policymakers, among others, can collaborate together to

                                                                 
*
 Cammarota, A. (2005). The Commission’s initiative on MSDs: Recent developments in social partner consultation at the 
European level. Presentation to Conference on MSDs – A Challenge for the Telecommunications Industry. Lisbon, 20–21 
October 
†
 European Commission (2007) 
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keep more people healthy and in work. The research has proved exceptionally useful to policymakers at
European and National level and has stimulated interest across the media.

The moment is now to make musculoskeletal disorders a priority:

In Spain, the Spanish Senate recently passed a resolution calling for coordinated action on MSDs in their
country; in the UK, a first-ever joint meeting of the Health and Work and Pension sub-committees, and
along with parallel initiatives, contributed to the initiation of a Government review of the costs and benefits
of treatment and care for rheumatoid arthritis patients in the UK, and in Italy, a comprehensive review of
service delivery in MSDs is now being rolled out in the Italian regions to promote earlier intervention to
improve outcomes.

Members of the European Parliament RMSD Interest Group gathered in Strasbourg on 6 July 2010 to
discuss the priorities of the Belgian Presidency regarding Musculo-Skeletal conditions.

Antonyia Parvanova MEP (ALDE, Bulgaria) and vice-chair of the RMSD Interest Group presided over this
meeting. Amongst those present were Mr Pol Gerits from the Federal Public Service Health presenting the
health priorities of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, Prof Anthony Woolf from EUMUSC and Stephen
Bevan from The Work Foundation.

Further National reports including a report on Hungary during the Hungarian Presidency of the EU, will be
published throughout 2010, 2011 and beyond, building on the pan-European report’s call for early
intervention and support for MSD sufferers to stay in work.

Goals and ambitions

The Fit for Work Coalition is a multi-stakeholder pan-European platform that brings together the panoply of
stakeholders mentioned above as well as other interested individuals and organisations.

The Coalition aims to impress upon policymakers and relevant stakeholders the importance of early
detection, prevention and management of MSDs in the workplace, to place MSDs on the priority list of
policy makers at EU and national level, and to improve the clinical, employer and related approaches for
managing MSDs.

National governments have the most influence over health, labour and related social policies, and the
European Coalition will help to facilitate National Coalition efforts to secure real and lasting improvements
in public policy and healthcare practice. The ultimate aim of the EU level advocacy campaign is to build
political pressure on countries from top down to move towards policies and guidelines that embrace early
detection and appropriate intervention.

Part of the strategy is therefore to develop and strengthen the links between National Coalitions and the
EU-level Coalition, and to create reference points in EU official documents that can help the National level
advocate more forcefully and, hopefully, to help create a favourable policy environment at National level. A
favourable policy environment shaped at National level through the National Coalitions, in turn, helps to
consolidate support at EU level.

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