Simplyhealth

With a general election around the corner and 2.83m people off work due to long-term sickness, accessible healthcare for all has never been more important. To achieve this, we’re calling on the next Government to... 1. Acknowledge low-cost health cover as an effective method of tackling in-work sickness and driving the prevention agenda. 2. Reduce excessive tax burdens placed upon health cover products, employers and their employees. 3. Collaborate with the health protection industry to understand and unlock the role it can play in driving a healthier nation.

Low-cost Health Plans, when provided as a workplace benefit, provide quick access to digital services, including GPs, to help beat the wait. In July, 97% of our GP appointments were offered within 24 hours. Employers benefit as employees access consultations quickly, getting them back to work and their best self faster, and resulting in fewer sick days and increased productivity.

At the Labour Party Conference earlier in the week the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, gave a speech on his future vision for healthcare. Our CEO Paul Schreier shares his thoughts on what Streeting had to say:  “Wes Streeting started his speech by recalling how a woman called Clare, a stage 4 cancer patient, had messaged him to say that when she felt pain two years ago, she struggled to get diagnosed on the NHS. Her employer provides health insurance and for the first time in her life, Clare used it. Now she’s been able to live her life to the full, including getting married in Ibiza. “We welcome the Labour Party’s acknowledgement of the vital role that employers can play in supporting access healthcare. However, what is missing from the picture is the fact that only approximately one in ten people have any form of private healthcare, and the value that employers themselves can bring is not being leveraged. “Employer-provided health cover doesn’t have to be expensive or only for the few. We know from the thousands of businesses we partner with that our low-cost health plans are helping working people, from lorry drivers to supermarket shelf stackers, teachers and posties. The health plans have been designed to be affordable so businesses – even small ones – can offer them to their whole workforce. It shouldn’t be the case that only senior members of staff receive health cover as is common with other forms of more expensive private medical insurance. “2.8 million people of working age are currently economically inactive, on long term sick, so it is in employer’s best interests to provide health cover to keep them in work. The Labour Party already agree that without action on prevention, the NHS will be overwhelmed. “We have to improve access to all forms of healthcare, and the time to act is now. A new report by the Institute of Public Policy Research warned last week that, based on current trends, the number of people on long-term sick leave is set to rise to more than 4.3 million people, up by more than 50 per cent in the next five years. “We polled businesses and over 70% told us they feel a greater responsibility to look after their employees’ health due to longer waiting times. We must harness this enthusiasm as a moral and practical imperative, and reduce some of the barriers that are in place for employers providing health cover such as the excessive tax burdens for both employer and employee. “Since 2015, the rate of Insurance Premium Tax has doubled from 6% to 12%. This must be addressed if we want to get Brits back to health and back to work. While we all want to see the NHS thrive, it cannot support everyone alone. We have to maximise every solution possible to ensure that no one is left waiting for treatment.”

“We use it any time we go to the dentist. We all wear glasses, we’ve all got teeth, so we need to get them all fixed!” Arnold Clark Valet Manager Joe Sim shares how he has added his whole family onto the Simplyhealth Health Plan he gets through his work.

It’s #NationalEyeHealthWeek so we’re taking the opportunity to talk about how we’re making eyecare more accessible for our customers. With access to eye tests and up to 20% discount on prescription lenses and frames (excluding contact lenses) across 1,200 opticians and retailers across the UK, we’re making it easier to take care of your eye health. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eNmf_NVJ

According to Lord Darzi’s NHS report, published last week, the NHS is in “serious trouble” with rising waiting times and record-low public satisfaction. In response to the report, our CEO Paul Schreier said: “Almost 19 million days were taken off work in 2023 for physical health problems alone, with over 8 million days taken for back pain, and 6 million for dental issues. We urgently need to help people access the healthcare they need to get back to work, and workplace health support is urgently needed to do this. “Earlier intervention in these areas will both ensure that people are more productive at work, and that more complex, and much more expensive, problems are not stored up for the NHS to resolve further down the line. It is for that reason that alongside the important healthcare provided by the NHS, the government should mobilise businesses themselves to offer workplace health support. “Government must collaborate with businesses, starting with acknowledging low cost in-work health support, such as health plans, as a proven method to help prevent and tackle in-work sickness. Additionally, the excessive tax burden based on health cover products must be reduced to better support wellbeing at work and drive economic growth. This burden dulls the incentive for workplaces to further support their people’s health. Our research shows that employers recognise their role in providing this support, and doing more of this would reduce the costs of downstream treatment in the NHS. “We also need to see urgent attention on improving access to dentistry across the country. This must start with reform of the dental contract, considering the role of mixed and private practice in providing better access, alongside oral health education campaigns.” Read more about the story in Corporate Adviser : https://lnkd.in/ev6iVzix

Really enjoying the opportunity at #Dreamforce ito represent and promote Simplyhealth both in terms of its powerful purpose and also how we are using AI to help deliver on it. More stage sessions this afternoon and tomorrow - bring them on!

Wondering how to access the on-demand health services available to you as part of your Simplyhealth plan? Wonder no longer. In this video we walk through the process of accessing and using our on-demand health services including 24/7 GP, mental health support, and discounted physio.

Pretty cool to be a part of the world’s largest Artificial Intelligence event: Dreamforce. I was on stage first things this morning. as part of a panel to talk about our innovation with AI in Simplyhealth. #df24 We were the 1st in the world to implement generative AI in emails back in May and continue to innovate and evolve, with the help of our tech partners Salesforce. Fantastic examples from other organisations on what they’re doing. Thanks Nisha and Dan for cheering me on in the audience!

I am very much looking forward to stepping onto the Dreamforce stage tomorrow in San Francisco. #excited Feeling honoured to be invited alongside our Chief Customer Officer Claudia Nicholls-Magielsen to tell our Simplyhealth digital / AI transformation story. A big thanks to all of the Simplyhealth IT dev teams, Product squad members and several key people in our service teams for getting us to this industry leading stage. #oneteam Finally another big thank you to Salesforce for the opportunity and to Nisha P., David Brown for all your help and support. Dreamforce