In April 2017, a healthcare provider launched a national early intervention immediate response program. The aim was to:

• Promote recovery at work
• Provide managers with the skills required to effectively support injured employees within the workplace

The program was developed and implemented by the Group WorkCover Manager partnering with Cogent Thinking for the service delivery. The program supports managers and their employees during the incident reporting and injury management process.

It includes an incident hotline, accessible 24/7, providing immediate access to a multidisciplinary team of allied health professionals, expertly trained in RTW across jurisdictions nationally. The incident response team telephonically triages the injury, provides first aid, advises any workplace restrictions and determines if a GP or Physiotherapist appointment is required. As it is the manager who calls the hotline on behalf of the injured employee, a conversation takes place immediately to confirm suitable duties and any supports that can help the employee remain safely at work.

The results achieved through the program include:

• 93% reduction in claim conversion
• 0.2% reduction in EPR
• 100% increase in incident reporting
• $980,000 reduction in FY17/18 premium