01 May 2019

Employer-led eye care programmes could save business billions. Here’s how

Every year the NHS spends around £14 billion a year on treating diabetes and its complications. This figure does not reflect the cost of absence, reduced productivity and other costs such as healthcare management for employers.

Employer-led eye screening programmes could help to identify employees at risk of developing this condition up to seven years earlier than other checks.

There are currently 3.8 million people living with a diagnosis of diabetes in the UK, and 90 per cent of those have Type 2. Almost one million more people are living with the condition who don’t know they have it because they haven’t been diagnosed, bringing the total to 4.7 million.

By 2030, it's predicted this number will rise to 5.5 million, bringing into stark relief the need for systematic, regular and thorough eye tests for company employees, not least because they provide effective screening for potentially life-threatening medical conditions – like diabetes.

Company screening
Research carried out by VSP Vision Care UK shows that in carrying out eye screening of company employees, VSP optometrists were first to spot symptoms of early onset diabetes some 34 per cent of the time - and up to seven years before any other check.

Jeremy Chadwick, Managing Director, EMEA at VSP Vision Care, said the research results underlined the vital importance of offering employer-led, regular eye screening and examinations for all employees.

“Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of a working age in the UK, yet the vast majority of workers are not eligible for help from the NHS for the costs of vision care.

“It is initially hard to detect and so can progress unnoticed, and may only be discovered in a thorough eye screening. Diabetes can also increase the risk of glaucoma and other eye conditions.

“That is why it is so important that employer-led eyecare programmes reach all employees. Thorough, regular examinations support early diagnosis of diabetes and other conditions, helping make earlier treatment possible and driving better outcomes for employees and employer alike.

“The estimated cost to British businesses of absenteeism due to diabetes runs to around £8.4 billion pounds a year. So, early detection and treatment can go some way to helping bring down that huge cost,” he said.

Improving productivity
According to the Vision Council, poor vision results in 32 times more lost productivity than absenteeism, so it is in the best interests of both employers and employees that regular eye health screening takes place. Studies have shown that receiving glasses increases productivity by around 35 per cent.

The right vision cover can improve employee wellness and productivity, while at the same time meeting Health and Safety Executive requirements in providing employees with access to the latest screening and eye health monitoring.

Typical employee vision plans can be quickly self-funding in terms of reducing health care costs and improving productivity due to the very high return on investment on complete eyecare programmes.

A five year independent study by Human Capital Management Services identified a 145 per cent return on investment on all VSP vision plans. At the same time, the same study showed that companies which targeted three major modifiable risk factors, including diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension, achieved average savings of £420 per employee per year in terms of health care costs and productivity improvements.

This article is provided by VSP Vision Care.