Is a work life balance simply a matter of finding the time or energy to switch away from work and embrace home time? Well not entirely if a new report by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is anything to go by. The report has spotlighted some of the challenges which an aging workforce will place on health providers.
Over the last forty years, the number of people in England aged over 50 has increased by 47% with those aged over 65 increasing by 52%. Not only does this aging population place a strain on existing public health resources, with the aging demographic also reflecting in the workforce the challenge facing health providers is that of finding ways to ensure that their people can stay as fit and healthy as possible in order to continue to provide a good level of service.
As the RSPH comments “With an ageing workforce comes more workers who require support with long term health conditions, and potentially reduced levels of mobility.” And with over half of workers having a long term health condition by the age of 60 and with a quarter of those aged over 55 considering leaving work due to their health, that challenge is considerable.
One solution proposed by the RSPH is to provide early access to preventative and targeted occupational health services alongside workplace and working pattern adjustments as required. In other words, resetting the work life balance in order to help people to stay in employment for longer.
Interestingly this approach ties in with a new NHS health check initiative which is being rolled out to workplaces across the country. Over sixteen million people are eligible for an NHS health check but just 40% of those eligible actually participate in the programme. The hope is that by rolling the checks out into workplaces, those at risk of cardiovascular and other diseases might be identified earlier. This in turn will enable early interventions which could help people to bring their work life and health balance back on track.
Commenting on this programme Jaguar Land Rover Chief Medical Officer, Dr Steve Iley, said:
“Health checks are a fundamental part of prevention and therefore feature in many of our programmes. Our collaboration with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council on the workplace cardiovascular disease checks pilot presents a unique opportunity to work together on providing awareness and signposting for our employees.”
Even with programmes such as these, the pressure on health practitioners and health services will continue to grow unless technological patient management and treatment solutions are adopted. One solution for those with mental issues is the integration of digital therapies within mainstream treatment plans. It is estimated that in the 2023/24 year the demand for talking therapies reached an all-time high with 1.82 million referrals. Enabling people to use digital therapies under the supervision of a trained practitioner could save around 6,000 therapist hours per 1,000 people currently receiving talking therapies. Similar results are anticipated for those with depression or PTSD.
Aside from being able to provide a more flexible treatment plan, the saving in therapist hours means that more individuals can be seen and helped in a short time frame; again helping individuals back into the workplace whilst relieving the pressure on health practitioners.