How wider society needs to step up and help the NHS - Denis Kinane

It is not hyperbole to suggest our National Health Service is currently facing its biggest crisis since its inception in 1948. Over the last few weeks alone, data has highlighted this worrying state of affairs, as the number of excess deaths soar to the worst in 50 years and ambulance delays outside A&E reach record highs.
By Denis Kinane
Published 14th Jan 2023, 06:00 BST

With senior doctors this week warning that hospitals are facing intolerable pressures costing lives, urgent action is needed.

Strike action looks set to continue over the coming weeks with 14 health unions announcing that they would no longer work with the NHS Pay Review Body. In return, the Government is said to be considering a “one-off” payment for nurses and ambulance workers. While this may prevent further strikes, short-term fixes won’t solve the long-term issues plaguing the NHS, in particular the growing waiting list.

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Data from the Christmas period showcases the pressure Yorkshire’s hospitals are currently under. From December 26 to January 1 hospitals in Calderdale and the Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust bed occupation was at a staggering 98.1 per cent. With the NHS facing overwhelming demand, wider society needs to step up and help.

The NHS has come under huge pressure this winter. PIC: Dominic Lipinski/PA WireThe NHS has come under huge pressure this winter. PIC: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
The NHS has come under huge pressure this winter. PIC: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

We can do this through keeping as healthy as we can and focusing on prevention. Both the NHS Long Term Plan and the NHS Five Year Forward View called for a radical upgrade in preventative measures to ensure the future health of millions of Brits and safeguard the sustainability of our NHS. Preventative care includes, annual check-ups, and obvious things such as heart screenings, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and cancer tests.

With the NHS gripped by budget woes, businesses have an imminent role to play in ensuring their workers have access to preventative healthcare.

A survey from Cignpost found that over 70 per cent of employees are willing to take diagnostic tests to support their health and well-being, and 46 per cent of those aged 24-44 would like their workplace to provide regular health screenings to help them keep on top of their health. There is clearly an appetite from the public to play their role, businesses just need to provide the tools.

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So how can businesses help? In the first instance, companies need to ensure that their wellness offering is sufficient and that the staff are aware of what is already available. An option businesses are increasingly considering is using annual or six monthly diagnostic testing. On the back of Covid testing, there is a much greater acceptance of the role that diagnostic tests, whether of saliva or blood, can play in providing vital information about a wide range of conditions, from skin cancer to heart health.

What’s in it for businesses? Aside from their corporate social responsibility, businesses that invest in the health and wellbeing of their staff will benefit from increased staff retention, lower levels of absenteeism and productivity gains.

Through encouraging the public to access preventative care we can reduce the chances of serious health problems from arising in the first place and, if they do, help people to manage them as effectively as possible. By taking this wider societal attitude towards healthcare, we can ensure that the public is healthier and significantly reduce the burden on the NHS.

It is essential we not only recognise the pressures the NHS is facing, but how we can all play a role in alleviating the demand.

Professor Denis Kinane is the founder of Cignpost.

Related topics:GovernmentData