Helping employees overcome barriers to healthcare is a key benefit
A 2021 report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that NHS waiting lists could sky-rocket to a massive 13 million by autumn 2022.
It will have been a shock to many during the pandemic that something as simple as face-to-face access to a GP was not available for considerable periods. For those who needed treatment, for serious or chronic conditions, any delays will have been worrying. There are ongoing concerns that the NHS will take some time to get back on an even keel having reorientated itself during the pandemic. NHS bosses have voiced worries over delays to cancer care. And that’s before the probability that the health system may still face significant challenges through 2022.
Greater importance attached to healthcare
Employers will want to factor these worries into their own wellbeing thinking. Priorities can change in periods of crisis. It’s likely that most employees, including younger members of the workforce, will attach more value to being able to get medical and other professional advice swiftly than they did before the pandemic.
On top of healthcare access worries, mental health across the nation took a dive. The challenges of the pandemic stretched people to their limits. While on some level, things are starting to look brighter, some of these mental health issues will be residual. Many of these issues will continue to impact employees longer-term.
During the past two-years of increased isolation for many, the role of the employer has become much more salient. After more than a year at home under lockdown rules, employees have come to expect more from their employer support. Employers, too, have a better understanding of the need to look after the wellbeing of their people.
Making the link
But it’s not just a matter of shifting employee expectations and a greater sense of duty of care. Prioritising wellbeing also makes good business sense. Pre-pandemic, there was already an appreciation within larger corporates of the link between health and wellbeing and enhanced productivity.
Within SMEs, practice varies. Before the crisis, for some, it may have been less of a priority. But latest statistics show the pandemic has made the link between health, happiness and productivity clear for companies of all sizes.
Health cash plan
So, it’s essential that employers consider their options in selecting health benefits most suited to the needs of their workforce and to their available budget. A health cash plan is one option that enables employees to get the everyday healthcare they may otherwise be struggling to access.
Health cash plans offer employees money back for a range of healthcare services, up to an agreed amount. Depending on the plan, these will typically reimburse routine medical, optical and dental expenses. Some also cover mental health, such as counselling, alongside physiotherapy treatments and sport massages. Some go as far as covering hospitalisation, specialist consultations and maternity healthcare costs.
This article was supplied by Health Shield
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Health Shield
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