GRAVESHAM has been named and shamed as one of the worst places in the UK for people to be on long-term sickness from work.

The town was blacklisted as one of six areas by the Department of Work and Pensions that has the highest number of people out of work due to illness or injury. It is a problem that cost the British industry a whopping £11.6bn in 2002.

Now the Government has launched a pilot scheme in Gravesham to try and find a solution to the dilemma and is calling on residents to volunteer.

People who sign up are told they have nothing to lose but everything to gain - including preferential National Health Service treatment.

If the year-long pilot scheme is successful, the program will be rolled out to the rest of the country.

Jeremy Wrench, a spokesman for the scheme, said: "This Government funded research is to identify what kind of support is most effective at helping people who are off work, return to work and keep their job.

"Preliminary evidence suggests that job retention is a major concern for those off work sick for six weeks or more. We will test three different kinds of early intervention."

Volunteers chosen will be put into one of four categories: healthcare, workplace, combination and control groups.

Mr Wrench said: "If a volunteer is put into a healthcare group, they will receive preferential health care treatment to try and get them back to work as soon as possible. This may include surgical procedures, physiotherapy, alternative therapy or counselling.

"Those placed into the workplace group will have their case worker liase with an employer to work out flexible hours, different working environment or even new career options.

"The combination group will get a mixture of the two while a fourth group of people will receive no additional help."

The aim is to see what method helps people back into work - if anything at all.

Mr Wrench added: "Everyone offering their services has a three in four chance of receiving some extra help. All will continue to receive all their current benefits. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”