The launch of ‘Our Future Health’ - a project in the UK to diagnose and treat diseases early, or even prevent them from developing - has brought to the front of our minds the need for preventative healthcare. 

The launch of the project comes at a time when the NHS waiting list for treatment has reached over 7 million, the longest since records began, and economic inactivity due to long-term sickness is at a record high in the UK.

Whilst the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be understated, the NHS now faces another winter crisis and with long-term illness rates skyrocketing it is important that we begin to consider alternative strategies to alleviating pressures on the health service.

With this in mind, early stage diagnostics and preventative testing can play a pivotal role in protecting the NHS and making the economy more productive.

Businesses across the UK have an opportunity to put in place strategies to regularly test the health of their employees, not just because it creates a healthier workforce but because it is what employees are coming to expect. Recent research by Cignpost has highlighted that over 70% of Brits are willing to take diagnostic tests to support their wellbeing, and 42% expect their employers to conduct regular health screenings. Corporates have the opportunity to not just help the NHS, but assist in the long-term health of their workers.

Such preventive action has the potential to reduce pressure on the NHS by lowering the number of patients requiring treatment and minimising the level of intervention for those who do. The result could be a significant cut in the 7 million people on waiting lists and the amount of time before they receive treatment, and the half a million people who have had to leave the workforce in the last three years due to long-term illness. 

Discovering a health problem early can help people make better informed decisions about their health, improve the likelihood of successful treatment, and reduce the risk of long-term illness or fatality. For example, heart and circulatory diseases account for around a quarter of all deaths in the UK, with heart disease claiming more than 160,000 lives a year. A figure that could be significantly reduced through early diagnostics and raising awareness of the causes and symptoms of CVDs such as high blood pressure - the leading modifiable risk factor for heart and circulatory disease in the UK. Yet it’s estimated that 6-8 million people are living with undiagnosed or uncontrolled high blood pressure in the UK. The general public must know the importance of monitoring their blood pressure and heart health as diagnosing issues at an early stage is crucial in reducing the risk of heart disease.

We can see already that diagnostic tests are becoming popular with many forward-thinking organisations, as identifying health problems early prevents staff from missing large periods of time due to illness, and a healthier workforce is a more productive workforce.

It has long been a truism that a healthy business begins with healthy employees. But the pandemic has demonstrated the critical importance of finding ways to create that healthier workforce. Those businesses that can achieve that goal will inevitably steal a competitive march on their rivals – and have a more contented, and motivated workforce alongside assisting in the long-term future of the health service.  Professor Denis Kinane, Founding Scientist at Cignpost