Smaller firms urged to cut absenteeism and boost staff satisfaction through private health insurance

A business support organisation is urging smaller companies to take consider taking out private medical insurance for their employees.  The Forum of Private Business believes countless small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK could save time and money by investing in a high-quality medical insurance scheme.

Providing additional healthcare cover for staff is likely to save companies a significant amount of money by ensuring employees return to work as swiftly as possible after an illness or injury.  The move is also likely to make the recruitment of desirable employees quicker, cheaper and easier for SMEs thanks to the addition of a valuable benefit for workers.

The Forum also believes that providing private healthcare cover for staff will lead to increased employee loyalty and satisfaction, leading to lower staff turnover – and therefore lower recruitment costs – in the first place.  As a result, the Forum has teamed up with fellow not-for-profit organisation WPA in order to offer specially-discounted private medical insurance to Forum members.

The Forum’s Finance and Administration Director, Nick Palin, said:- “Employees often represent a business’s greatest investment, so it makes sense for business owners to optimise this investment by reducing sickness absence and increasing staff retention.  However, it’s not just employers who should consider investing in private medical insurance. Owner-managers themselves are obviously crucial to the day-to-day operation of their enterprises, so they too need to be able to return to work as quickly as possible after an illness or injury.”

Mr Palin added:- “Many bigger businesses have been able to offer private medical insurance for years thanks to their bulk buying power.  Now, smaller businesses can access it at affordable rates too thanks to our specially-negotiated deal with WPA, which we’re delighted to be able to offer.”

More information on the new service, along with other HR-related benefits for Forum members, can be found under the ‘HR Director’ solution on the Forum’s website.

The Forum already offers paying members discounted access to dental, optical and complimentary care for their staff through a healthcare cash plan.

The plan, provided in partnership with non-profit friendly society Health Shield, offers 100% cash back for a wide variety of treatments.

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Hospital offers earlier Down’s Syndrome test

MUMS-TO-BE in Southport and Ormskirk can now be tested for Down’s Syndrome much earlier in pregnancy.  From 1 February 2011, Ormskirk and District General Hospital are being offered a combined first trimester screening to all women up to 14-weeks-and-1-day into their pregnancy.

Previously they had to wait until at least the 16th week but the test can now take place as early as 10 weeks. The new test is also more reliable, detecting 85-90% of cases compared to 60-65% previously.

Dr Mark Davies, Associate Medical Director and Specialist Obstetrician at Ormskirk, said:- “This is a tremendous advancement which gives women the opportunity to make choices appropriate to them at an earlier stage in pregnancy.  The test was previously only available privately so this is a significant enhancement of the service we are able to offer at Ormskirk.”

The new test involves an ultrasound scan of the baby which measures fluid under the skin at the back of the baby’s neck. This combined with a blood sample from the mother allows a calculation to be made of the risk for Down’s Syndrome.

One of the first women to be offered the test was Kerry Hardiman, of Maghull.  She said:- “There are so many things to concern yourself with in pregnancy that being able to have the test earlier is really helpful. Knowing it’s more accurate than the old test is also very reassuring.”

The traditional quadruple blood test, which is carried out between 14 and 20 weeks into pregnancy, is still available for women who miss the earlier test.

This is a national programme and the Trust is one of the first in the North West to offer it on the NHS with trained midwives, sonographers and specialists.