A partnership has been set up to review the health of the NHS workforce. The main objectives are to assess available evidence on morbidity among all grades of NHS staff;to estimate the cost of avoidable work related sickness; and to make recommendations for future action.

Under the auspices of the Nuffield Trust the partnership includes representatives of the Department of Health, the BMA, the NHS Confederation, the British Association of Medical Managers, the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, the General Medical Council, the Institute of Health Services Managers, the National Counselling Service for Sick Doctors, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and UNISON.

The project team, which expects to report in March 1998, is led by Dr Siân Williams, a locum consultant in occupational medicine at the Royal Free Hospital in London.