A lack of NHS appointments and long waiting times for treatment are hitting UK business finances as more employees call in sick.
Research from healthcare provider HCML found that more than half (56 percent) of employees struggled to access NHS services, while a fifth (20 percent) of workers said they were unable to take time off work to attend appointments or access healthcare support.
Reduced access to NHS services and an inability to get time off for treatment is contributing to employee absence, the provider said. With health conditions going untreated for longer, it is no surprise that the cost of workplace absence is a growing concern.
Private healthcare a priority
These findings were revealed in the provider’s corporate health and wellbeing report, which also showed that 47 percent of employers said giving people access to private healthcare is a top priority for them. However, only 37 percent of employees said they have access to private healthcare.
Employers want to support their employees with healthcare options but these “are not hitting the mark when it comes to specific solutions”, HCML said.
Less than a third (31 percent) of employees reported having access to health and wellbeing services provided by their employer, while 52 percent said they need more support from their employer to boost their health and wellbeing.
Duty of care
Almost one in 10 (9 percent) workers told the survey they are not sure how or where to access employer provided support. HCML recommended that employers find alternative approaches to help their staff to access the support they need.
Pamela Gellatly, strategic development director at HCML, said: “When it comes to employee health and wellbeing, employers have a duty of care to provide support for their workforce. This means having the right initiatives in place, providing clear solutions and putting signposts in place to help employees access the right support when it is needed. With a struggling NHS and long waiting lists, it is not easy to access treatment.
“Where our NHS cannot provide help for medical issues, employers must offer solutions that help prevent ill health in the first place and actively engage employees to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. This is where providing access to private healthcare for the common conditions that lead to an absence, for example, mental health and musculoskeletal disorders, can be very cost effective.”
Long term trends
Further survey results showed that only 34 percent of employees said their employer offered wellbeing programmes. But long term data from HCML has identified that the underlying cause of staff absence and health claims are related to wellbeing issues such as excess weight, inactivity and other lifestyle behaviours in 85 percent of cases.
It said that employers that tackle these causes could close the gap on people needing to see their GP for common conditions and reduce costs for employers over the longer term. The provider advocated combining this approach with active health management of the ‘whole person’ rather than just dealing with the symptoms.
“When it comes to supporting employee health and wellbeing, it’s important to start with a personalised approach to assessment that provides meaningful insight and enables you to identify trends and implement the most appropriate strategies,” Gellatly added.
Clear communication
She continued: “It’s imperative that health and wellbeing initiatives are clearly communicated across the business so employees understand what the benefits are and how to access them. Having effective strategies in place can help employees feel more supported, reduce possible absence time and reduce pressures on the NHS.”
The report found that the smaller the company size, the less private healthcare is offered. However, it also found that more employees are absent with mental health issues in larger companies than in smaller companies. Many different factors may affect these findings; however, research has suggested that poor absence management could be part of the issue at companies with bigger workforces.
HCML said that if workplace absence is not monitored or recorded properly it is difficult for companies to see trends in data. However, if an employer studies these trends the solutions will be easier to find. Then employers can tailor their healthcare offer to the needs of their workforce.
