Doctors say that the workplace is one of the biggest threats to our health and are calling for employers to be more responsible, according to a new report.
Doctors say that the workplace is one of the biggest threats to our health and are calling for employers to be more responsible, according to a new report.
The emotional environment at work was rated worse than unsafe sex, drugs, pollution and a poor emotional environment at home in the degree to which it is damaging our health.
GPs say our working environment is posing as big a threat as alcohol. And 69% of the GP panel interviewed as part of Norwich Union Healthcare’s ‘Health of the Nation Index’ say the incidence of depression attributable to the physical or emotional workplace environment has risen over the last five years.
And more than two thirds of GPs believe that workplace factors account for half of their patients suffering from stress.
GPs believe work is a significant factor in many of their patients’ conditions. A third of doctors believe it’s a key factor in cases of sexual impotence; 29% say it’s a cause of eating disorders and 34% believe it’s a significant factor in patients with drug abuse problems.
With Britons now working longer hours and with growing concerns about workplace bullying and stress, this research brings home the extent to which the pressure to be successful in today’s job market can be damaging to health.
And nearly half of the GP panel interviewed by Dr Foster for Norwich Union Healthcare believe employers’ legal responsibility for their employees’ health should be increased.
The findings are part of Norwich Union Healthcare’s second ‘Health of the Nation Index’ looking at GPs’ views of the health service. The Index also reveals:
- GPs are feeling frustrated by time wasters and those who aren’t taking responsibility for their own health – over a quarter of GPs think that more than 30% of their consultation time is taken up by patients who did not need to see a doctor.
- There is widespread support (almost three-quarters of GPs) for the use of ID cards to confirm entitlement to NHS services.
- More than 60% of doctors think patients should be able to pay for more convenient appointments – but admit that this is privatisation by stealth. Two in five GPs would like to see the introduction of ‘fast track’ appointments, for an average Ł24 fee for patients, and over half would be prepared to offer out-of-hours consultations for around Ł62 per appointment.
One of the GPs who took part in the Norwich Union Healthcare research, Dr Ann Robinson, says the dilemma of GPs wanting to deliver an effective Health Service without compromising its values is clear.
Says Dr Robinson: “One of the biggest causes of dissatisfaction among patients is lack of convenience. It’s no wonder that GPs are feeling the pressure to offer solutions for patients who are demanding a more consumer-friendly service, such as ‘fast track’ appointments.
“By letting patients pay, GPs know this means they will expect longer consultations, which of course will mean longer working hours. And, more fundamentally, they’re uncomfortable with the fact that this flies in the face of the principle of a free and equal health service.”
Tim Baker, director of business development at Norwich Union Healthcare said: “It’s clear that doctors want to respond to the wishes of their patients but at the same time it appears that they remain keen to get patients to take more responsibility for their own health.”
Roger Taylor, research director at Dr Foster said: “This research has provided a valuable insight into the views of the people at the coal face. It’s interesting to see how far GPs are prepared to try and fit in with the needs of patients, and it will be interesting to track their opinions and see how this develops over the coming months.”
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Media contact: Jo Misson, Matt Buchanan or Charlotte Ruddlesdin at QBO Bell Pottinger on 020 7861 2424 (out of hours telephone number: 07766 914 746) or Lorna Wiltshire at the Norwich Union Press Office on 01904 723 236 or 07788 471 849
Notes to Editors:
Norwich Union Healthcare’s ‘Health of the Nation Index’ GP Panel consists of 264 GPs, a representative sample from across the UK. They took part in a comprehensive online survey carried out by health research experts at Dr Foster in August 2003.
Norwich Union Healthcare was founded in 1990 as the healthcare arm of Norwich Union and now provides a range of income protection and private medical insurance products to around 750,000 customers. It is one of the largest providers of income protection and private medical insurance in the UK.
Norwich Union Healthcare is a member of the General Insurance Standards Council, the Association of British Insurers and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Norwich Union is the UK’s largest insurer. It is a leading provider of life, pensions and investment products and one of the leading IFA providers. IFAs provide around 70% of the company’s long-term savings business.
Norwich Union has strategic alliances with building societies and other leading UK brand names including Tesco Personal Finance and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
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