College of Work and Health launches to strengthen UK workplace health standards 

A new professional body aimed at improving standards and coordination across the UK’s work and health sector has launched, as employers face growing pressure to tackle ill health in the workforce. 

The College of Work and Health, launched in March 2026, will work with professional bodies across the sector to define competency standards, support best practice and provide professional recognition for those working in work and health roles. 

Established by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) as a sister charity, the College expands its remit beyond doctors to include the wider, multidisciplinary workforce supporting employee health, including non-clinical advisors and workplace wellbeing professionals. 

The move comes at a critical point for the UK labour market. One in five working-age people are currently not in work due to ill health, highlighting the growing intersection between workplace wellbeing, economic participation and public health. 

The College aims to create a more joined-up approach across clinical and non-clinical roles, helping employers better understand the range of services available and how different professionals can support prevention, early intervention and return-to-work outcomes. 

It will also seek to bring greater clarity to the sector by defining role boundaries, competencies and standards, an area that has often been fragmented and difficult for employers to navigate. 

Speaking at the launch, The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE, minister of state at the Department for Work and Pensions, said the development reflects the need to strengthen support systems around work and health. 

“I very much welcome the development of the College of Work and Health because we need to increase access to effective advice on preventing ill health and supporting people into work,” she said. “We are doing that as a department and as a government, but it is important as we expand this non-clinical workforce that they have this professional home and a sense of belonging because they are a vital part of the joined-up effort that underpins effective work and health support. The College will also be important for workers themselves, and employers and this empowerment of employers is going to be crucial. It recognises the key role that they play in workers’ health, as they’re often uniquely placed to make early interventions to prevent someone falling out of work.” 

Dr Gail Allsopp, chief medical advisor for the Department for Work and Pensions, said the College provides a clear pathway to grow the non-clinical workforce supporting employee health. 

“I’m delighted that in the College of Work and Health, we now have one option for a professional home for our non-clinical workforce and that means we can help them to grow, so that they will be able to help more people stay in work or return to work.” 

Dr Robin Cordell, president of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, said the College represents a significant opportunity to improve outcomes for the UK’s working population. 

“The College of Work and Health will be a vital resource for the growing multidisciplinary workforce supporting the health of Britain’s working-age population,” Cordell said.  “It will be inclusive, cohesive and collaborative to benefit workplace health, ensuring the highest professional standards of competence and ethical practice.” 

The College is governed by a board of trustees drawn from across the sector, including representatives from the National School of Occupational Health, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the GMB Union, the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, the Association of Health and Wellbeing Professionals and The Colt Foundation. 

The launch signals a broader shift towards more structured, professionalised workplace wellbeing support, as employers take on a more active role in preventing ill health and supporting people to remain in or return to work.