Event Details

Roundtable at the Labour Party Conference 2026 hosted by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University in partnership with Ingeus that will discuss the Keep Britain Working agenda and how healthier work can drive local growth.

Poor health is increasingly shaping the UK’s economic prospects. Nearly 2.8 million working-age people are economically inactive due to long-term ill health, while employers face growing pressures linked to sickness absence, workforce retention and productivity.

Improving workforce health potential to support the Government’s ambitions for higher employment, stronger local economies and growth in every part of the country. However, health, employment and economic development responsibilities remain spread across employers, the NHS and different tiers of government.

Hosted by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University in partnership with Ingeus, this private roundtable will bring together Sir Charlie Mayfield, lead reviewer of Keep Britain Working, with senior leaders from politics, research, health and the third sector. The discussion will explore how national ambitions can be translated into coordinated local action that supports workers, strengthens employers and delivers more inclusive economic growth.

Key questions include:

• How can mayors and local leaders make workforce health central to local growth plans?
• How can local employment support better help people with ongoing or fluctuating health conditions find and sustain jobs that match their needs, skills and circumstances?
• What role can employers play in preventing ill health and helping people remain in or return to work?
• How can local health systems, employment services and businesses work together more effectively?
• What powers, funding and national support do places need to respond to their distinct workforce and health challenges?

This roundtable is supported by Ingeus and is invite only.