Our response to Lord Darzi's report on the state of the National Health Service in England

Paul Schreier, CEO at Simplyhealth 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.”