Record numbers of British workers are sick. No wonder the economy is too. But there is a cure

The Tories have failed to pursue the obvious answers to this crisis, punishing ill people and NHS strikers instead

Britain has a sick economy. That's not a metaphor for the flatlining of growth over the past year, but a statement of fact. Never before have so many people been out of the labour force due to long-term sickness or disability. Never before has there been such a loss of human potential.

Better health is desirable in itself. Ill-health makes people miserable, so it shouldn't really matter whether or not there were economic benefits from reducing the number of people who might want to work if they fell well enough to do so. Gross domestic product is not everything.

Larry Elliott is the Guardian's economics editor

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.