Bupa has been named as a Vanguard of Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review to government, recognising its leadership in workplace health and productivity as a healthcare partner to FTSE100 organisations and SMEs, supporting businesses to keep their people healthy and in work.
In September, Bupa welcomed Sir Charlie Mayfield to the launch of the annual Bupa Wellbeing Index, the landmark health report examining trends in workplace heath and calling for collaboration and shared responsibility for the health of the nation across healthcare providers, employers, employees and government. In close alignment with the Keep Britain Working review recommendations to government published on Wednesday, the Bupa Wellbeing Index made several recommendations, including:
- Healthy workplaces recognised through a kitemark accreditation
- All employers incentivised to provide a baseline of health and wellbeing support
- A dedicated fund created to help SMEs give their people the support they deserve
Carlos Jaureguizar, CEO for Bupa Global, India and UK, said: “We welcome the Keep Britain Working review findings and are pleased to be a Vanguard, working with the Government to test the implementation of proposed initiatives to support the nation’s health.
“Healthcare providers and employers play a critical role in keeping people well and in work. We strongly advocate for the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace to reduce long term economic activity due to workplace ill health.
“We know early intervention can lead to better health outcomes. For this, we all have a role to play; the government, providers, employers and employees. We are supportive of a collaborative approach to work together and achieve practical solutions for the long-term that ultimately support employers to keep their people well and in work, retain critical talent and drive economic growth.”
The number of employees benefitting from workplace health insurance has grown steadily over the past three years. In 2021 around 4 million employees were covered by private medical insurance through their employer. This figure rose to 4.4 million in 2022, rising to 4.7 million in 20231. The year-on-year growth demonstrates the importance of placed by employers and employees to have choice and access to workplace health insurance in over three decades.
Research from the Bupa Wellbeing Index found that while over a third (36%) of UK business leaders said employers should play a lead role in keeping people in the workplace, 83% said Government should reward employers who promote workplace health.
1 Private medical insurers report record 4.7 million covered by employer health schemes
