With the NHS under increasing pressure, the wait to see a GP in some areas has become alarmingly long.
With one in five patients waiting more than a week, and one in ten waiting three weeks to see their GP, some employee illnesses will have come and gone by the time they sit down with their doctor.
So how do long waits to see a GP affect the workplace?
Increases in Presenteeism
Presenteeism is the term to describe a sick employee coming into work, or continuing to work whilst they are ill.
As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, presenteeism rates are on the rise.
With many employee sickness policies stipulating a doctor’s note to be signed off as sick, numerous staff members continue to come in to work for fear of not being paid whilst waiting to see their GP.
Not only does this behaviour help to spread infectious sickness symptoms to other employees, but it takes its toll on an ill employee’s mental wellbeing.
An employee continuing to work whilst unwell can quickly develop further stress management-related conditions such as burnout.
Decreased Employee Productivity
Of course, if an employee is sick, they aren’t going to be functioning at maximum physical or mental capacity.
It is estimated that 27 days of productive time a year are lost each year due to employees continuing to work whilst suffering from illness.
If one of your ill employees is waiting to see a GP for over a week, their professional standards of work will drop and they will take longer to complete tasks, since their body will be using a lot of energy to fight the infection.
Therefore, it is vital that your sick employees are seen by a GP as soon as possible to maintain levels of productivity and workplace wellness.
Beat GP Waiting Times by Having a Video Consultation
The solution to the problem lies with recent technological advancements and the subsequent rise of tele-health appointments.
Today, video consultations offer the ability for employees to be seen by a GP quickly should the need arise, with most ailments easily diagnosed by a doctor using the video facilities of a smartphone or tablet.
For employees who have long waits with their traditional GP, these consultations allow employees to be seen on the same day in most cases. Video consultations also offer the flexibility for staff to seen during working hours without having to take any time off.
Get Treatment Within 24 Hours
Once a doctor has diagnosed the problem via a video consultation, medication can be arranged and delivered to the workplace within 24 hours using our services.
What’s more, if the condition is serious enough for the employee to spend time off work, DocHQ can send the sick note directly to you, reducing time you spend on admin.
Swift diagnoses ensure staff members can start the road to recovery much quicker than if they had to wait more than a week to see a GP, and helps staff who only have minor issues to remain at work.
Employee expectations are changing and providing solutions to improve wellness in the workplace are highly valued, tackling both physical and mental health issues.
If you would like more information on how to get your employees seen quickly by a GP as part of your employee benefits package, then book in a video consultation of your own with a member of our team.
DocHQ Ltd is a Health Tech company improving choices. We help you connect efficiently to health support and advice whether you are at home, work or travelling. See our website for our services or call us on 0330 088 0645.
