Absence Management: Prevention is better than cure
The United Kingdom’s much loved National Health Service (NHS) is facing a serious treatment backlog. Treatment waiting lists across the four nations of the UK are significant, and data from the British Medical Association (BMA) suggests that NHS England alone has a backlog of more than 7.5 million cases. That figure is 3 million higher than before the pandemic and 5 million higher than the low of 2010.
These stark figures are concerning for everyone based in the UK, and not least employers that are often partially or fully reliant on the NHS to help keep their workforce fit, healthy and (importantly) at work. For sickness absence is a massive headwind to the economic growth that employers – and indeed the nation – so desperately needs as we enter the second half of the 2020s.
Surge in company-funded Private Medical Insurance
It follows that many more individuals and employers are now seeking alternatives to the NHS. Indeed the numbers of personal and corporate Private Medical Insurance (PMI) schemes increased by 7% in 2023 according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
And with the NHS waiting lists unlikely to reach acceptable levels for many years to come, the number of employers attracted to private provision for some of all of their workforce should be set to increase further.
Rising costs
Yet the recent surge in PMI coverage has been accompanied by a disproportionate rise in claims against such policies. The ABI found that more policyholders are making use of their access to medical treatments, with a 21% increase in claims across all policies and no less than a 26% increase from workplace schemes in 2023.
With more claims comes the spectre of higher premiums, and a recent report from global consultancy WTW suggests that medical insurance costs in the UK will increase by 12.6% this year, the third successive double-digits escalation to such premiums. Should this trend continue then the appeal and cost-effectiveness of company funded medical insurance may become more questionable for existing and new corporate users alike.
Prevention rather than cure
For this reason, Human Resources (HR) experts should perhaps consider more holistic solutions to workforce wellbeing. Whilst the backstop of access to PMI treatments will always be a good thing, it is clearly better for all if the need for such remedies could be avoided in the first place.
It follows that Occupational Health Assessment Ltd would actively encourage HR teams to explore, adopt and promote a wide range of simple – and often low cost – measures to change employee behaviours and improve workforce wellbeing.
And it would be remiss of us not to mention that a wider – perhaps more targeted – use of occupational health assessments can also play an important role in absence management. The ability to highlight potential medical concerns at an early stage can enable timely preventative measures to be taken, and thus potentially avoid unnecessary absence or lengthy treatment via the employer’s PMI policy or the National Health Service.
About Occupational Health Assessment Ltd – a nationwide occupational health provider
Occupational Health Assessment Ltd provides rapid access to expert occupational health support for businesses across the United Kingdom. Appointments are available nationwide within two days.
With a unique occupational health assessment service, night worker health assessments, fitness certifications and access to clinics in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Northampton, Nottingham, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke, Surrey and more, the business provides high quality, expert medical advice.
Please contact us for further information or assistance.