Lack of employee flexibility to attend healthcare appointments during work hours has knock-on health impacts
Restricted access to healthcare appointments during typical working hours leads to poorer health-related quality of life, a University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 led has found.
The research 鈥� funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 (ARC-GM) - explores how being unable to attend healthcare appointments during normal working hours affects the health and wellbeing of employees.
It found that jobs lacking flexibility for workers to attend healthcare appointments are linked with significantly lower health-related quality of life. This was driven mainly by effects on physical health rather than mental health, with workers who have long-term conditions being the most affected.
In the UK, there is no statutory requirement to allow employees to attend healthcare appointments during working hours, however some employers choose to allow this type of flexibility.
The research team, led by academics from 黑料网吃瓜爆料, suggest that to move towards a more prevention focused health system, people need to be able to access routine GP appointments and cancer screening before the point of serious illness.
Working full time presents challenges for many workers whose jobs don鈥檛 offer the flexibility needed to take time away to attend healthcare appointments. This has significant implications for early diagnosis and management of long-term conditions. The findings of our research make it clear that population health could be significantly improved by removing barriers during typical working hours to allow workers to access primary care services, such as GP and screening appointments
, Research Fellow in Health Economics at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淲orking full time presents challenges for many workers whose jobs don鈥檛 offer the flexibility needed to take time away to attend healthcare appointments. This has significant implications for early diagnosis and management of long-term conditions.
鈥淭he findings of our research make it clear that population health could be significantly improved by removing barriers during typical working hours to allow workers to access primary care services, such as GP and screening appointments.
鈥淲hile positive steps have been taken to address this access issue through the offer of out-of-hours appointments, there鈥檚 a wider discussion to be had about the role employers can play in supporting their employees鈥� health by permitting flexibility around healthcare appointments 鈥� without having to take paid leave or forego income.鈥�
Dr , Deputy Theme Lead for Economic Sustainability at ARC-GM, and Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said: 鈥淲ork shouldn鈥檛 be a barrier to remaining healthy. But this research shows that for some people working in inflexible jobs where they aren鈥檛 able to attend healthcare appointments during the typical working day, it can have an impact on their physical health. These challenges are particularly pressing in the context of our ageing population and the more frequent need for routine healthcare among older age groups.
鈥淲e鈥檇 welcome further investigation into the impact of this barrier to accessing healthcare, and the cost-effectiveness of different policy approaches.鈥�
Researchers used data from the National General Practice Patient Survey in England, which is a large national survey targeting random samples of individuals registered with each general practice. Data from six waves of the survey (2013-2017) was used in which a measure of health-related quality of life was collected. The measurement of health-related quality of life covers five domains: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression.
The sample used was restricted to individuals aged between 18 and 64 years and only included those in full-time employment.
- The full study - 鈥業mpact of Constrained Access to Primary Care on Health-Related Quality of Life鈥� - has been published by the Value in Health journal. You can read the report and its results DOI