Small businesses in Merseyside now have free access to professional occupational health advice to help with individual employee health issues following the launch of a new adviceline.

More than £100 billion is lost from the UK’s economy each year because of working-age ill health and sickness absence, of which £30-40 billion is estimated to be due to mental ill health problems, such as anxiety or depression.

A recent Government report identified a need to provide employers, particularly those in small firms, with easy access to advice on workplace health issues. To address this, the Department for Work and Pensions is piloting a ‘Health for Work Adviceline’ for small business in seven locations in England, and across Scotland and Wales.

The adviceline, delivered by NHS Plus, will run until 31 March 2011.

Employers can call the adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44 or find out more by clicking on the link below.