Don't let NHS challenges drain productivity: What top employers are doing
Over the years, the NHS has faced challenges across many of their key services, creating significant strain on our national healthcare system.
Understanding these pressures is crucial for employers looking to support their workforce's health and wellbeing.
Mounting challenges in healthcare
As pressure builds across various medical services offered through the NHS, including dental, GP, and hospital care, UK residents are feeling the impact of growing demand and limited resources.
While Covid-19 has played a part in this, the problems were building long before the pandemic struck.
Our beloved health service has faced years of inadequate planning and under resourcing, leading to record numbers of appointments, overcrowded hospitals, staff shortages and longer waiting lists for GP appointments.
There are also significant concerns surrounding NHS dental care.
Dental care in crisis
Did you know that as of October 2024, 97% of new patients were unable to access NHS dental care? This has forced many to seek alternative solutions or delay essential treatments.
Recent data reveals that:
- 30,000 children and over 70,000 adults were admitted to A&E with tooth decay between April 2022 and May 2023.
- 28% of UK employees have taken time off work due to dental pain, equating to 23 million sick days.
- 40% of children no longer have regular dental appointments.
Broader healthcare pressures
When the NHS is under such strain, it affects every one of us. As of December 2024, the waiting list for NHS treatments stood at 7.43 million cases, with nearly 200,000 waiting over a year.
The median waiting time for treatment stood at 14.4 weeks, a rise from pre-Covid figures of 8.4 weeks.
Not only that but cancer targets continue to be missed, patients are waiting longer for emergency care and GPs are finding it harder to make referrals due to the lack of capacity in secondary care.
The hidden cost of delayed healthcare
These pressures don't just impact individual health, they also have significant implications on UK workplaces.
As employees wait longer for treatment, their overall health will likely be diminished, making them less productive and more likely to be absent from work. It can also increase recovery time.
Even with those factors aside, the stress alone of waiting for important treatment can make it impossible to focus on their day-to-day and can have a significant impact on an employee’s mental wellbeing.
How employers can make a difference
Employers can play a crucial role in supporting the health of their employees by offering comprehensive health benefits that serves to complement existing NHS services.
This is often offered in the form of private group health insurance, which can be tailored to meet both the needs of your business and the needs of your employees.
Private medical insurance (PMI) complements the NHS by offering quicker access to private healthcare, reducing waiting times for those relying solely on the NHS. It provides an alternative for individuals seeking faster diagnosis and treatment which can alleviate pressure on NHS resources.
1. Reduced waiting times: PMI allows individuals to bypass NHS waiting lists for consultations, scans, and treatment, enabling quicker access to specialist care. This can be particularly beneficial for those facing long waits for non-urgent procedures or those wanting to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment. By utilising private healthcare, individuals can potentially shorten the time between initial symptoms and treatment which could reduce anxiety and potential complications.
2. Choice and flexibility: PMI offers a choice of hospitals, consultants, and treatment options, allowing individuals to select the provider and setting that best suits their needs. This flexibility extends to treatment times, with PMI often allowing for more convenient appointment scheduling.
3. Focused on acute conditions: PMI primarily covers acute conditions, which are illnesses or injuries that can be treated and cured within a relatively short timeframe. The NHS typically manages emergency treatment and chronic conditions.
4. Potential cost savings for the NHS: By providing PMI it can help reduce the overall demand on the NHS, potentially freeing up resources for other patients and services, this can lead to shorter waiting times for those who rely solely on the NHS.
6. Complementary, not replacement: It's important to understand that PMI is designed to complement the NHS, not replace it. The NHS remains the primary provider of healthcare for all UK residents, including emergency care, long-term conditions, and preventative services.
7. Employer benefits: Offering PMI to your employees can help businesses attract and retain the best people. Better healthcare and reduced waiting times could help improve wellbeing amongst the team and get people returning to work quicker.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Towergate Employee Benefits
With 22 years’ experience, we are one of the UK’s largest independent employee benefits advisers.
