Long NHS waits hampering employee return to work

Long NHS waiting times are having a profound financial impact on UK businesses as employees end up stuck at home waiting for treatment, a poll has argued.

The survey by healthcare provider HCML found that nearly 60% of employees say they have struggled with getting access to NHS services.

More than half (56%) also struggled with availability and waiting times, while a fifth (20%) said they were unable to get time off work to attend appointments or access necessary support.

The survey of more than 500 employees and 200 employers also found that nearly half of the employers polled (47%) said access to private healthcare was one of the top health and wellbeing priorities for their employees.

However, there was a disconnect here between what employers’ think is important when it comes to health and wellbeing and what employees have access to. Against the half of employers, just over a third employees (37%) said having access to private healthcare was important.

This showed that, while employers are keen to support their employees with healthcare options, they are perhaps hitting the mark when it comes to specific solutions, argued HCML.

Only 31% of the employees polled said they accessed health and wellbeing services provided by their employer, yet 52% said they felt they need more support from their employer to improve their health and wellbeing.

In addition, 9% of employees were unsure how and where to access health and wellbeing support services. Employers therefore needed to find alternative approaches to enable employees to access the support they need, said HCML.

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.”

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