Our Mission

The mission of the group is to improve the well-being, maximise the potential and reduce health inequalities of the working age population through cutting-edge, policy informing research. This is structured around the central tenets of the Healthy Working Lives strategy: health promotion, health protection, rehabilitation, employability and lifelong learning.  We undertake research including the Scottish Observatory for Work and Health and offer continuing professional development via a number of training courses.

Our Staff

Prof Ewan B Macdonald OBE, Head, Healthy Working Lives Group

Dr Judith Brown, Research Associate, Scottish Observatory for Work and Health

Dr Evangelia Demou, Research Associate, Biology of the Workless

Mrs Sandra McGuire, Administrator, Healthy Working Lives Group

Mrs Karen Taggart, Administrative Assistant, Healthy Working Lives Group

Honorary Staff

• Dr Kaveh Asanati
• Mrs Mairi Gaffney
• Dr David Haldane
• Dr Robbert Hermans
• Dr Chris Ide
• Dr Chris Kalman
• Dr Alastair Leckie
• Dr Sarah Mitchell
• Dr Eugene Waclawski

The Healthy Working Lives Group Campaign

What is a Healthy Working Life?

It's one in which an individual has the ability to do as much as they'd like, for as long as desired, in both their working and nonworking life.  This can be achieved by providing the necessary support at the right time.

The healthy working lives group’s purpose is to undertake research and teaching to improve the health and workability of the population. 

Why is this research and teaching important for all of us?

• We are an ageing society and our population is declining
• This affects the productivity of our workforce
• Sickness absence costs UK industry at least £13 billion per year
• Around 2.6 million people in the UK, 335,000 in Scotland, claim long term sickness and or disability benefits - this is a major cause of health inequality and deprivation 

What can we do?

• There is good evidence that many of the above could be rehabilitated into work
• There is good evidence that a safe job and keeping people active for longer improves health and life expectancy

To strengthen and expand the academic base of the HWLG and create a sustainable future, we need funding for the following:

• A senior academic leader in occupational health
• 2 non clinical lecturer posts
• A research/financial administrator

Why are we seeking support?

To date the group has been sustained entirely by research income and donations - this has exceeded £5 million in the past 5 years.   However, there is a lack of resource to meet the demand for teaching and research into these problem areas.  It is important to raise the profile of health problems of working age people; provide support to industry, enterprises and social partners; continue policy forming research, all aimed at improving the socio-economic capacity of the country, and the wellbeing of individuals.
 
To succeed we need the support of businesses, work unions and concerned individuals, in understanding the many benefits of a healthy working life to both an individual and society as a whole. 

For further information please contact:
 
Professor Ewan Macdonald at ewan.macdonald@glasgow.ac.uk

Extending Working Lives

Supporting Older People into Employment (SOPIE): Identifying factors influencing return to work in the over 50s.
Exploring the Impact of pensions on working lifetimes and subsequent longevity

Scottish Observatory for Work and Health

Scottish Observatory for Work and Health

Evaluation of intervention programmes

Re-designed NHS Lanarkshire Musculoskeletal Pathway
Evaluation of EASY sickness absence project
Condition Management Programme
Working Health Services Scotland

Biological markers, health and wellbeing

Biological markers, health and wellbeing

Policy Impact

EWTD & Physicians Health
Ill Health Retirement

Health Promotion

Needs assessment for teachers occupational health

Occupational health on the edge

Health care needs of health care workers

Lifelong learning

ATOM project

Required competencies of occupational physicians - a Delphi survey of UK customers

Delphi study on competencies of occupational physicians across Europe

Competencies of occupational physicians medicine in Europe: scope and competencies

Health Protection

Pre-employment Health Assessment Study (PHAS)

Health care needs of dentists and dental nurses

Exposure of dental personnel to nitrous oxide PHAS process evaluation project

Rehabilitation

Scoping the potential for research into employment and health-related interventions for people on incapacity benefit

Ill health retirement Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot (JRRP) / Healthy Return

Sickness Absence Management Project (SAM Project)

Brown J, Mackay D, Demou E, Craig J, Macdonald E.B. Reducing sickness absence in Scotland - applying the lessons from a pilot NHS intervention July 2013.

Brown J, Demou E, Tristram MA, Gilmour H, Sanati K, Macdonald EB. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/327. Employment status and health: understanding the health of the economically inactive population in Scotland. BMC Public Health 2012; 12: 327.

Demou E, Gibson I, and E.B. Macdonald. "Identification of the Factors Associated with the Outcomes in a Vocational Rehabilitation Condition Management Programme". BMC Public Health 2012, 12, pp 927-936

Lalloo D, Ghafur I, Macdonald EB. Author reply. Audit or assessment tools for occupational health letters or reports. Occup Med (Lond). 2012 Sep; 62(6):469-70.

Lalloo D, Ghafur I, Macdonald EB. Peer Review Audit of Occupational Health Reports - Process and Outcomes. Occupational Medicine 2012; 62: 54-56, doi:10.1093/occmed/kqr152

Duncan A, O'Reilly J, Macdonald EB, Watkins TR and Taylor M. Sumary of: Thirty-five year review of a mercury monitory service for Scottish dental practices. British Dental Journal, p122 - 123 (Feb 2011). doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2011.71

Sanati K, Mansouri M, Macdonald R, Ghafghazi S, Macdonald EB and Yadegarfar G. Surgical Techniques and Return to Work Following Carpal Tunnel Release: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 2011:p18.

Macdonald EB. Tackling the Failures of the Welfare State - "Thinking the Do-able". A Paper for Policy Makers. Healthy Working Lives Group, University of Glasgow. (July 2010) Tackling the Failures of the Welfare State

Macdonald, E.B. and K.A. Sanati. Occupational Health Services Now and in the Future: The Need for a Paradigm Shift. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2010. 52(12): p. 1273-1277.

Hill KB, Burke FJT, Brown J, Macdonald EB, Morris AJ, White DA, and Murray K. Dental practitioners and ill health retirement: a qualitative investigation into the causes and effects. British Dental Journal, 2010. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.795

Brown, J, Burke FJT , Macdonald EB. , Gilmour H, Hill KB, Morris AJ, White DA, Muirhead EK, and Murray K. Dental practitioners and ill health retirement: causes, outcomes and re-employment. British Dental Journal, 2010. doi: 10.1038/sj.dkj.2010.814

Webster D, Arnott J, Brown J, Turok I, Mitchell R, Macdonald, EB. Falling Incapacity Benefit claims in a former industrial city: policy impacts or labour market improvement? Policy Studies (2010) 31(2): 163-185.

Reetoo N, Burrows J, Macdonald EB. Managing Sickenss absence and return to work. Health and Safety Executive (2009), 1-162. www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr690.pdf

Brown J, Hanlon P, Turok I, Webster D, Arnott J, Macdonald EB. Mental health as reason for claiming incapacity benefit a comparison of national and local trends. Journal of Public Health (2009) 31: 74-80. http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/31/1/74 the Tap Off Appendices, Turning

Wilford J, McMahon A, Peters J,Pickvance S, Jackson A, Blank L, Craig D, O'Rourke A, Macdonald EB. Predicting job loss in those off sick. Occupational Medicine (2008) 58: 99-106.

Brown J, Hanlon P, Turok I, Webster D, Arnott J, Macdonald EB. Establishing the potential for using routine data on Incapacity Benefit to assess the local impact of policy initiatives. Journal of Public Health (2008) 30: 54-59.

Brown J, Hanlon P, Webster D, Turok I, Arnott J, Macdonald EB. Turning the Tap Off! Incapacity Benefit in Glasgow and Scotland; Trends over the past five years. (2007). Glasgow Centre for Population Health. [Turning the Tap Off Full Report], Turning the Tap Off Briefing Paper

Peters J, Pickvance S, Wilford J, Macdonald E, Blank L. Predictors of Delayed Return to Work or Job Loss with Respiratory Ill-Health: A Systematic Review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation (2007) 17: 317-326.

Macdonald EB, Docherty G. Book Chapter: Healthy working lives: the Scottish strategy for improving health in the workplace. Supporting health at work: international perspectives on occupational health services. Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (2007) 141-150.

Brown J, Gilmour WH, and Macdonald EB. Return to work after ill-health retirement in Scottish NHS staff and teachers. Occupational Medicine (2006) 56: 480-484. Occupational Medicine

Brown J, Gilmour, WH and Macdonald, EB. Ill health retirement in Scottish teachers: process, outcomes and re-employment. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (2006) 79: 433-440.

Reetoo KN, Harrington JM, Macdonald EB. Required competencies of occupational physicians - a Delphi survey of UK customers Occup. Environ. Med. (2005) 62: 406-413.

Brown J, Reetoo KN, Murray KJ, Thom W and Macdonald EB. The involvement of occupational health services prior to ill health retirement and predictors of re-employment in NHS staff in Scotland. Occupational Medicine (2005) 55: 357-363. Occupational Medicine

Dunlop C, Macdonald EB. (2005) Teachers' Health and Wellbeing Study Scotland. NHS Health Scotland

Brown J, Reetoo K N, Thom W & Macdonald EB. Ill health retirement of teachers and NHS staff in Scotland - the process and outcomes (2005). NHS Health Scotland

Ritchie KA, Burke FTJ, Gilmour WH, Macdonald EB, Dale IM, Hamilton RM, McGowan DA, Binnie V, Collington D and Hammersley R. Mercury Vapour levels in dental practices and body mercury levels of dentists and controls. British Dental Journal (2004) 197: 625-632.

Reetoo KN, Harrington, M and Macdonald EB. Competencies of Occupational Physicians, a customer's opinion, HSE CRR 247 report, (2004) HSE Report

Peters J, Wilford J, Macdonald E, et al. Literature review of risk factors for job loss following sickness absence. In-house Report 1222. London: Department for Work and Pensions http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/ (2003) 1–318.

Ritchie KA, Gilmour WH, Macdonald EB, Burke FJT, McGowan DA, Dale IM, Hammersley R, Hamilton, RM Binnie V & Collington D. Health and neuropsychological functioning of dentists exposed to mercury. Occup Environ Med (2002) 59: 287-293.

Macdonald EB, Ritchie KA, Murray KJ, Gilmour WH. Requirements for occupational medicine training in Europe: a Delphi Study. Occupational and Environmental Medicine (2000) 98-105.

Macdonald EB, Baranski B, Wilford J. Occupational medicine in Europe: scope and competencies (2000) World Health Organisation, Copenhagen.

Ritchie KA, Macdonald EB, Gilmour WH, Murray KJ. An analysis of sickness absence amongst employees of 4 NHS Trusts. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, (1999) 56: 702-708.

Macdonald EB, Ide C, Elder A. Competencies of occupational physicians. Requirements of occupational medicine training in Europe. University of Glasgow Press, (1998) Glasgow, UK.

Macdonald EB, Ritchie KA, Murray, KJ, O'Neil JM et al. Accidents and sickness absence in health care workers. Paths to Productive Ageing (1995), ed. Kumashiro M. Taylor & Francis, London. ISBN 0-7484-0222-5.

Macdonald EB. (ed). Quality and audit in occupational health. A report of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (1995). The Royal College of Physicians London.

Ritchie KA, Macdonald EB, Hammersley R, O'Neil JM, McGowan DA, Dale IM and Wesnes K. A pilot study of the effect of low level exposure to mercury on the health of dental surgeons. Occup Environ Med, (1995) 52: 813-817.

Macdonald EB. Audit and quality in occupational health. Occupational Medicine (1992) 42: 7-11.

Brown J, Burke FJT, Macdonald EB, Gilmour H, Hill KB, Morris AJ, White DA, Muirhead EK, and Murray K. Dental practitioners and ill health retirement: causes, outcomes and re-employment. British Dental Journal, 2010. 209(5). http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v209/n5/full/sj.bdj.2010.813.html

Healthy Working Lives Group
Institute of Health and Wellbeing
College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

University of Glasgow
1 Lilybank Gardens
Glasgow
G12 8RZ

Tel: 0141 330 3719/3559

Follow us on Twitter (@HWLGroup)