Health and work update for clients as at 03 April 2023
UPDATE ON PROMOTING, PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING HEALTH IN WORK
1. NHS waiting lists
Over half of all workers (51%) have been impacted by delays in accessing the NHS, with one in ten (11%)1 severely impacted by an operation cancellation, with subsequent impact on attendance and performance.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), a leading independent economics research institute, have published a report2 examining NHS performance against the backlog recovery plan, published by NHS England in February 2022. Key components of the plan include challenging targets:
- Reducing long waits of more than a year
- Increasing elective activity to 30% above pre-pandemic levels
- Diagnostic tests, cancer referrals, and outpatient appointments
The IFS report found that waits of more than two years have almost been eliminated, but waits of more than a year have increased, with more on the way. The remaining targets entail much larger numbers. There were 24,000 2+ year waits at its peak. There are presently 48,000 1.5-2 year waits and 358,000 1-1.5 year waits.
So far, there has been little progress in increasing elective treatment volumes, which is likely due in part to wider pressures on the NHS. It is also possible that growth was always intended to be ‘back loaded,’ as it takes time to increase capacity.
Another unknown is the number of new patients joining the list. Fears that millions of ‘missing’ patients would return led to previous very high estimates for waiting lists, but there has been no evidence of a surge in demand.
The report concludes that the NHS has done well in eliminating waits of 2+ years, and subsequent ambitions for long waits remain achievable. However, there has been little progress in increasing elective treatment volumes. Employers may wish to consider the impact of waiting lists when capacity planning and recruiting. According to the IFS report,
1 UK Survey Report Health at Work: What your people want and need to stay healthy https://mcusercontent.com/c5f24ec4df7f8cbf49517337b/files/20ad50f6-e01c-836c-3c63-b85a87995f9e/Health_at_Work_Report.01.pdf
2 One year on from the backlog recovery plan: what next for NHS waiting lists? https://ifs.org.uk/publications/one-year-backlog-recovery-plan-what-next-nhs-waiting-lists
waiting lists are likely to more or less flatline for the next year, then begin to fall steadily from mid-2024. However, there is a lot of uncertainty – waiting lists could fall this year if the NHS increases treatment volumes even faster. In addition, recovery and rehabilitation from elective procedures can contribute to further short-term impact on attendance and performance, but are likely to improve and stabilise in the long-term.
2. Pilot occupational health provision to small & medium sized enterprises
Trials are underway to help SMEs with the costs of workplace health assessments for their employees, offering eligible SMEs an 80% discount on workplace health assessments for all their employees. A private sector workplace health provider would do this assessment. Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS) is the industry standard for occupational health services in the UK, and on the SEQOHS website employers can find information on accredited providers5.
1 Government consultation on widening access to occupational health services at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/occupational-health-working-better
2 Government consultation aimed at employers to explore the role of tax incentives to boost occupational health provision by employers at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/joint-hmt-hmrc-consultation-on-tax-incentives-for-occupational-health
3 New occupational health taskforce to tackle in-work sickness and drive down inactivity at: New Occupational Health Taskforce to tackle in-work sickness and drive down inactivity – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
4 NHS England growing occupational health and wellbeing together strategy at: https://www.nhshealthatwork.co.uk/growingoccupationalhealth.asp
5 SEQOHS at: https://www.seqohs.org/default.aspx
As the occupational health provider to our clients we contribute to minimising sickness-related job losses, and help the organisations we serve support their employees returning to work after periods of ill-health. Key to this is the advice we provide on promoting physical and mental health at work, on preventing ill health and injury through occupational health needs analysis and health surveillance, as well as assessments to support employees with health conditions and disabilities to return and be sustained in work. We also advise where employees can no longer safely continue in work.
Many of our clients have SMEs within their supply chain who may benefit from access to occupational health advice and services. We should be happy to advise if this is being considered by clients
3. Carers’ leave
In our day to day work in occupational health we speak with many employees who have caring responsibilities; sometime the “sandwich generation” with care for children and elderly parents. We have seen an impact of these responsibilities on some employees, and the need to balance these with work commitments. Employment law changes from 6th April 2024 will include the right to unpaid carer’s leave; this would be for one week every 12 months6. The right to a reasonable amount of time off to deal with an emergency continues, as set out in Government guidance7.
Dr Robin Cordell
MBA FRCP FFOM
4 March 2024
6 Government guidance on carer’s leave from 6 Apr 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/carers-leave
7 Time off for family and dependants at: https://www.gov.uk/time-off-for-dependants