Millions of people in England are on a waiting list for NHS treatment, fuelling feelings of anxiety and causing many to take long-term sick leave. Kelly McCabe explains how organisations may be able to lessen the impact of delays on employees’ health.
It is impossible to not have noticed the news surrounding concerns about the NHS and conjectures about it hitting a crisis point. Delays for NHS treatment have reached critical levels, and the impact of this is increasingly being felt among employers.
The latest figures indicate that 7.47 million people in England are currently waiting for NHS treatment. Around 3 million of these have been waiting longer than the supposed maximum waiting time of 18 weeks, and, just under half a million have been waiting more than a year. Shockingly, this is around 231 times the number of people waiting for more than a year before the pandemic.
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These people include those on waiting lists for treatment, those who have had procedures and referrals delayed or cancelled, and those who haven’t yet told their GP about their symptoms due to concerns about further burdening the NHS or the risk of Covid-19 infection.
More recently there has been increased awareness of employee mental health, which is vital to overall health and wellbeing, but what impact will NHS delays have on how we think about physical wellbeing for the workforce?
How NHS delays impact employees
According to PAM Group’s October 2021 Health at Work report, half of employees have been affected by NHS delays.
More recent analysis of official data by Broadstone, in December 2022, found that one in five who have been impacted by the delays say their work has been affected. This includes having to make changes to the tasks they do (around 40%), reducing working hours while they wait for treatment (20%), and having to go on long-term sick leave (10%).
It is estimated that the current backlog will take years to clear, leaving huge numbers of employees struggling to cope with ill health or pain, as well as the anxiety experienced as a result of the uncertainty.
It’s easy to understand why many employers are looking again at their health and wellbeing strategies to see if there is anything they can do to fill the gap created by NHS delays.
Cancer is a particular concern
While the delays are experienced throughout the NHS, cancer is of particular concern due to its increasing prevalence and current failure to meet targets set by the government.
Recent government data outlines the seriousness of the situation. Ninety-three per cent of people urgently referred to a specialist team with suspected cancer should be seen within two weeks. This has not been met since May 2020 and, in January 2023, stood at 81.8%.
Eighty-five per cent of patients with confirmed cancer should start treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral. In January 2023, 54.4% of patients were treated within this timeframe – a record low.
Ninety-six per cent of patients with a cancer diagnosis – covering all routes to diagnosis and not only those referred by their GP – should receive treatment within 31 days. In January 2023, performance was at 88.5% – another record low.
It is estimated that the current backlog will take years to clear, leaving huge numbers of employees struggling to cope with ill health or pain, as well as the anxiety experienced as a result of the uncertainty.”
Delays to cancer referrals and treatment are becoming particularly concerning for businesses. In the US, cancer has outstripped musculoskeletal issues as the highest – and fastest growing – healthcare cost for employers, and we usually see the UK follow the health trends in the US.
Around 1.5% of the average workforce will receive a cancer diagnosis, however, the costs associated with the disease can be disproportionately high, exceeding 10% of employer’s healthcare budgets.
How employers can help
There are ways employers can limit the impact of these delays on the workforce.
A very simple but vital action is reviewing the organisation’s policies and ensuring they clearly outline what benefits and entitlements are on offer, and promote employees’ understanding of what support they can expect.
It is worth also thinking about support for carers and family members as part of this policy because we generally see that this group – a large proportion of the workforce – tends to be forgotten.
While employers’ wellbeing offerings should continually evolve based on the needs of their staff, there are a few vital considerations to be made to physical wellbeing strategies now that NHS delays are impacting employees.
- Promote preventative health
Providing high-quality health and wellbeing education, including smoking cessation support as well as opportunities to be active and make healthy food choices, is a cornerstone of disease prevention. When it comes to cancer, help employees to understand their risk and see the value in NHS screening programmes, and give them time off to attend screening appointments.
- Introduce digital solutions
Digital health is fast evolving and allows employees to receive high-quality care at lower costs, with reduced waiting times, leading to improved outcomes. It allows people to see specialists without having to leave work for hours or wait months for an appointment. It also means you can provide equitable benefits to people regardless of where they’re located.
- Offer employee health benefits
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The private sector will be instrumental in helping to fill the gap caused by NHS delays. Private medical insurance (PMI) can help employees resolve health problems quickly, reducing absence. There are also cheaper alternatives if offering PMI is not something that can be provided for the whole workforce. Look at providers who offer wraparound care, which supports treatment and lessens the impact of delays.
The task may feel insurmountable for employers weathering turbulent times. However, there are ways to tweak strategies and evolve them as priorities change.
