Businesses Impacted By NHS Waiting Lists
As you probably know, the National Health Service (NHS) currently has a massive waiting list of patients requiring appointments and treatment. This is having a significant impact on the productivity of UK businesses.
To get you up to speed, we've created an in-depth guide that covers:
The current data from the British Medical Association (BMA).
The impact of waiting lists on UK businesses.
What is causing the issue.
What businesses can do to limit the negative effects on productivity.
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What Does The Current Data Say?
The most recent data on the NHS waiting list from the BMA makes for quite sobering reading. Although the number of patients waiting for treatment has decreased slightly, the change has not been significant.
According to the BMA's report, as of April 2024:
6 million individuals are waiting for NHS treatment.
This amounts to 7.57 million cases that remain untreated.
Of the 6 million individuals, 3.16 million have been on the waiting list for more than 18 weeks.
302,600 have been on the list for more than a year.
This equates to a median waiting time of 13.9 weeks.
In an attempt to address these issues, the government set targets for the NHS. One was known as the elective backlog recovery plan, which was set in February 2022. It aimed to ensure that there were no waiting times longer than 65 weeks by March 2024. As you can see from the data, this target has been missed.
The second target was to ensure that 92% of patients on the waiting list received treatment within 18 weeks of referral. Unfortunately, this has also been missed. In fact, this target hasn't been achieved since September 2015.
The hidden backlog
If these figures aren't concerning enough, the NHS has also warned of a hidden backlog. This refers to patients who haven't yet presented themselves to the NHS but are in need of treatment.
Additionally, the official backlog figures don't include patients who have started treatment but are waiting for follow-up appointments, or patients who require non-consultant-led treatment.
As a result, the waiting list is certainly even more extensive than the upfront figures suggest.
What Is The Impact On Businesses?
The NHS backlog is having a huge impact on businesses across the UK. Employees with untreated health conditions are unhealthy and unproductive. Plus, it has led to a massive increase in long-term sickness leave.
A recent survey by the Liberal Democrats found that one in three people missed work in 2023 because they were unable to access an NHS appointment or treatment. It also found that:
15% couldn't get treatment for a long-term illness and had to take an extended period off work.
19% of those surveyed missed work while they were waiting for a GP appointment.
12% had to miss work due to waiting for emergency dental treatment.
Over 54% of young adults said they had to miss work as they were on waiting lists.
Clearly, the knock-on effects on business productivity will be substantial. To add to these figures, 31% of employed or self-employed adults in the UK said waiting for NHS treatment has negatively affected their work.
What Is Causing The Issue?
The COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for the giant increase in the number of patients on NHS waiting lists. However, it's more accurate to view it as the straw that broke the camel's back.
The waiting list was already at 4.6 million in December 2019, just before the start of the pandemic.
Still, the pandemic greatly exacerbated the existing problem and the number of patients waiting for treatment peaked at 7.8 million in September 2023.
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Start A QuoteWhat Can Businesses Do?
So, what can businesses do to reduce the impact long waiting times are having on productivity? The best, and possibly only, option is to ensure that employees have access to private healthcare.
This may seem a fairly obvious solution but, surprisingly, it's not a step that most UK businesses are currently taking. In fact, 85% of UK employers rely on the NHS to treat their employees.
By offering employees access to private healthcare, businesses can essentially sidestep the detrimental effects of the NHS backlog.
When employees can use private healthcare, they don't need to wait for NHS GP appointments or treatment. This means that:
They won't need to take long periods of sick leave while they wait for treatment.
Their health conditions are less likely to worsen as they'll be receiving treatment, leading to better productivity
They're less likely to be anxious about themselves or their loved ones waiting for medical treatment (as dependants can be added to private healthcare policies).
Frequently Asked Questions
Get Answers to Common Queries About Health Insurance Coverage
When will the NHS backlog be cleared?
The NHS backlog is now so severe that it will likely never be cleared entirely. However, it has already started to reduce slightly and it’s hoped that these reductions will gradually increase. Currently, the NHS has a target to eliminate waiting times of over 12 months by March 2025. Yet, it looks unlikely that this target will be met.
What types of private healthcare do businesses offer to employees in the UK?
The three most common types of private healthcare that businesses offer to employees in the UK are:
- Small business health insurance: This is a private healthcare policy tailored for businesses with fewer than 100 employees.
- Corporate health insurance: These policies are designed for businesses with more than 100 employees.
- Group health insurance policies: With these policies, private health insurance is provided to the employees of a business as a single group rather than individually. This usually means the cost per employee is lower.
What could the government do to help?
The Institute for public policy research, is calling on the government to incentivise businesses to provide proper health provisions for their workforce. Read their latest report here, from July 2024. Spolier (it’s related to tax reductions for small business health insurance)
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The NHS waiting list is a great concern for everyone in the UK, including employers. With so many people waiting for appointments and treatments, it's not surprising that 1 in 3 people missed work last year as a result. Unfortunately, this is impacting the productivity of businesses all over the country.
To reduce this impact, you should consider providing your employees with access to private healthcare. This is the best way to limit long-term sickness absences and reduce the anxiety of your workforce.