advocate the magazine from the UK’s leading business advisory
cover feature
challange accepted page 10.
advo interviews Bupa Global’s UK Sales Director page 14. Best Doctors: value a second opinion page 18. Issue #26 summer 2018
Employee Benefits
HR & Training
Payroll
Private Clients
advogroup.co.uk | who we are
who we are and what we do... advocate magazine is produced by advo group and published quarterly. advo is an award winning business advisory with a focus on people and technology. Our aim is to deliver essential services with added value, a philosophy to be different and invaluable. Our business technology platforms are standalone or linked, delivering corporate style benefit management and communication to SMEs and small corporates, a unique proposition. Our clients have dedicated account managers with smaller portfolios allowing active account management, and better understanding of client needs. As an IIP Gold employer we continually update staff knowledge to ensure we can integrate and apply the best of new thinking. For general information, and/or to join our online community, please follow http//issuu.com/ advogroup. Speak to us for: • • • • • •
UK and overseas employee benefits employee benefit and payroll technology platforms staff wellbeing and wellness programmes HR consultancy and support payroll & auto-enrolment solutions private client protection insurance
t: 01622 769210 e: info@advogroup.co.uk w: advogroup.co.uk
faye baker hr business partner advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk |02
advo supports
advogroup.co.uk | what’s inside issue #26
“what’s inside issue ” #26 raising money for ellenor
Welcome to the Summer 2018 edition of advocate, advo’s quarterly magazine.
Staying with employee benefits we have an exclusive interview with Teresa Wighton, Bupa Global’s UK sales director who In this issue we bring you up to outlines the challenges of an date with recent advo news and international insurer and how take a closer look at a few of the they can support HR when recent stand out issues. sending staff overseas. It has been a busy few months at advo with strong growth across the group. We relaunched our hr support service which now includes an online absence management platform ahead of the CIPD Software exhibition where we showcased our joined up payroll, employee benefits and hr proposition. Best Doctors’ second opinion service is available through many company medical and risk insurances, but its importance is often overlooked. Their European Director outlines how they help and advo’s commercial director talks about his own experiences.
Workplace stress affects performance but home life also suffers. We take a look at new findings from Investors-in-people. We also take a closer look at the NHS in its 70th year and focus on how it compares to other healthcare systems around the world and in health related matters we look at Hepatitis, an often misunderstood condition, in all its various forms. Remember that all editions of advocate magazine are free to read online at issuu.com/ advogroup.
meet the advo team For more information visit www.advogroup.co.uk
larry bulmer
gill mateo
kevin crew
colin boxall
it director
commercial director
lucy pearce
Larry founded advo in 1997 and leads the group across all advo companies
Gill joined advo in 2006 becoming Operations Director in 2013 overseeing the smooth running of advo.
Kevin oversees our award winning online service and is further developing staff, HR and Payroll platforms.
Colin joined advo group’s board in 2008 and has over twenty five years sector business experience.
Lucy oversees advo’s connected proposition bringing together payroll, hr and employee benefits.
lbulmer @advogroup. co.uk
gmateo @advogroup. co.uk
kcrew @advogroup. co.uk
cboxall @advogroup. co.uk
lpearce @advogroup. co.uk
ceo
operations director
head of sales & developement
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 03
advogroup.co.uk | contents
contents
ISSUE #26 | summer 2018
advo news Page 06
| advo news roundup
Page 08
| CIPD HR Software Exhibition
Page 10
| Bupa advo challange
Page 16
| an ellenor thank you
Page 17
| new advo awards
Employee Benefits news Page 14
| interview with Bupa Global
Page 18
| the value of a second opinion service
Page 21
| case study - second opion service
advo news roundup page 6.
Human Resources news Page 26
| workplace stress: what can help?
Health & other news Page 22
| NHS at 70: Comparison with other international healthcare systems
Page 28
| let’s be clear about Hepatitis
advo interviews Bupa Global’s UK Sales Director page 14.
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 04
advogroup.co.uk | contents
advo at CIPD HR Software Show
2018 Bupa advo challange
page 8.
page 10.
value a second opinion - Interview with Best Doctors and a case study outlining its importance page 18.
NHS: compared to other international healthcare systems page 22.
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 05
advogroup.co.uk | advo news
advo continues to experience steady growth which throws up the challenge of ensuring high levels of service continue across all parts of the group. Our focus of ensuring we have enough of the right people with the right approach and training will mean that as we grow we continue to deliver what our clients need. Recent staff additions include three account managers and two administrators.
advo people mo
As an Investors-in-People Gold employer we understand that having good people is our greatest asset. We know that without the right people, with the right training, ability and approach all else fails. The advo recruitment process involves assessment centres where we see attitude as important as aptitude. To be effective both account managers and administrators need to be able to manage a broad range of skills but also have the drive and personality to ensure clients get the best possible result possible. We are proud of the fact that all our managers have been promoted from within advo.
Jamie Tuffield and Lucy Pearce are to change their roles. From 1st his phased journey to head up advo’s employee benefits team allo current head, to take a more pivotal role overseeing and develop proposition incorporating HR, Payroll and Employee Benefits.
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 06
oves
July Jamie starts owing Lucy, the ping the advo
advogroup.co.uk |advo news
“
the continuing enthusiasm of advo staff to support Ellenor through inventive and creative ways continues to impress
advo hr changes
advo hr has a new hr proposition specifically designed with the SME in mind firmly established that incorporates an advo online absence management system. Faye Baker and Carly Gregory, HR Business Partners have been instrumental in designing the new proposition.
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 07
advogroup.co.uk | advo at the CIPD HR Software Show
advo at the CIPD HR software Show advo were sponsors, exhibitors and speakers at the CIPD HR Software Show held recently at the Olympia exhibition centre. advo demonstrated its new linked for SMEs and smaller corporates technology for SMEs and the wider which now bring PLC style benefit advo proposition. technology within the reach of every employer. The CIPD HR Software Show is now a regular annual event which advo also presented a talk on the attracts senior HR professionals ‘evolution of SME HR and benefit looking to source new HR software technology’ which highlighted solutions or to improve their existing one of the main challenges for systems. employers running staff benefits and keeping pace with employee advo showcased its technology expectations around technology. platforms specifically designed
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 08
advogroup.co.uk | advo at the CIPD HR Software Show
Carly Gregory
Faye Baker & Lauren Smith
Lola Muddiman and Ellie Sultana Larry Bulmer, advo CEO advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 09
advogroup.co.uk | 2018 Bupa advo challange
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 10
advogroup.co.uk | 2018 Bupa advo challange
challange accepted Health insurer Bupa recently held their annual ‘Challenge’, an event that pits Bupa’s intermediary partners against one another. advo sent a team to compete. The day was held at Englefield House, Berkshire, a beautiful setting with stunning grounds. The advo team comprised Lola Muddiman, Ellie Sultana, Bianca Le Fevre and Lucy Pearce who were joined by advo’s Bupa account manager, Aisling Burgess. The Bupa Challenge tests your physical and mental strengths with the participating teams needing fitness, ingenuity problem solving skills,
determination and dexterity. The Challenge comprised of 4 challenges Laser clay shooting, 7.5k bike ride, stone carving and a tricky obstacle course. advo’s team made a strong account of themselves in many of the events, especially the shooting, but were let down by their scores in the bike riding event resulting in them dropping to 11th place overall at the end of the day.
The day ended in live music preceded by drumming lessons and excellent food. Lola Muddiman summed up the day “I really enjoyed the whole day, the weather was amazing and luckily the bike ride was first thing in the morning before we were too tired and hot! The challenges were all really fun and getting involved in reggae drums was a great livener before the evening’s entertainment.”
Ellie Sultana, Lola Muddiman, Bupa’s Aisling Burgess, Bianca Le Fevre and Lucy Pearce
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 11
advogroup.co.uk |raising money for ellenor
ellenor thanks advo money raising marathon runners advo’s Amy Jones and Jamie Tuffield ran the London and Brighton marathons to raise money for ellenor. On Saturday 7 July ellenor invited them along with other recent fund raisers to a ‘thank you’ tea party. Emma Bowles, Senior Events Fundraiser at ellenor commented “We have been overwhelmed by the support and commitment of our marathon runners, who all spent many months not only training to take on 26.2 miles but also fundraising – and we are delighted that the combined fundraising total of our London Marathon, Brighton Marathon and Sponsored Walkathon for 2018 is a staggering £53,380.23. This support is already making a huge impact and allowing ellenor to care for even more families!” You can find out more about ellenor’s great work through the following link. https://ellenor.org/thehospicetv
advo reco using tech improve c experienc
advo are finalis Awards in the ‘ which recognis firms that have to improve the
The Digital Broker Award effective use of technolo shift to digitalisation.’ The interacted with custome apps and mobile device service due to the applic evidence of greater effic
Kevin Crew advo’s IT dire that the advo IT team ar and our focus on using t of our clients has again b technology in conjunctio people is a powerful pro
The overall winner will be London on 14 Septembe
Amy Jones and Connie Jones both shake hands with Sarah Green, ellenor’s Community Lead Nurse, when Amy picked up her ‘thank you’ Certificate advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 12
advogroup.co.uk | advo awards
ognised for hnology to customer ce
advo are finalists for the ‘Best Use of Technology for Benefits’ at the Workplace Savings and Benefits Awards
sts in the UK Broker ‘Digital Broker Award’ ses insurance ‘broking’ e integrated technology eir client experience
d is described as ‘focusing on the ogy by brokers as part of the wider e Judges are looking at how firms have ers through platforms such as websites, es with evidence of enhanced customer cation of their technology in addition to ciency and more profitable business.
ector said “I am absolutely delighted re again seen as leaders in their field technology to improve the ‘working lives’ been recognised. The use of our own on with highly competent and motivated oposition.”
e revealed at an awards presentation in er 2018.
The Workplace Savings and Benefits Awards recognise both employer and provider excellence. The awards, which are now in their 6th year, aim to find and recognise the employers which have the best benefits teams and offerings to staff and have done the most to improve these over the past 12 months. In addition, the awards look to reward the best pension and benefit providers, recognising those that have done the most to help employers and their staff over the past year. advo online, incorporating employee benefit, HR and payroll management and staff portals is recognised for the management of staff benefits on behalf of their clients. Colin Boxall, advo’s commercial director commented “it is pleasing to see advo recognised by our peers for the emphasis we place on delivering PLC style benefit management and communication to smaller corporates and SMEs.” The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 6 September 2018 at the Sheraton Grand, London.
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 13
advogroup.co.uk |interview with Bupa’s Teresa Wighton
advo Glob
advo intervi Global rema
advo’s Colin Boxa position around th we take a closer l commitment to th
Q. In the UK Bupa is a leader, this may not b of the world where th insurers – What sets B both in the UK and ot How can this work wh legislation and requir
Actually, Bupa Globa itself as a truly interna the past 40 years. We around the world with services for globally m people who want the coverage and acces they need anytime, a whether at home or w travelling or working a
Bupa Global has offic including London and (USA), Copenhagen (UAE, in partnership w Kong (China) as well Mainland China, Sing Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Ecua
Teresa Wighton Bupa Global UK Sales Director
One of the challenge customers and their e ever present geo-pol impacts their daily liv that local laws don’t mobile individuals an true; health provision key contributing fact travel and work in ce jurisdictions.
As a result of this, Bup
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 14
advogroup.co.uk |interview with Teresa Wighton
o interviews Bupa bal’s UK Sales Director
iews Teresa Wighton to discover why after nearly 50 years Bupa ains at the forefront of international medical insurance.
all met with Teresa and asked why she thought the Bupa brand has remained in such a strong he world and what she believes separates them from competitors. In a wide ranging discussion look at the challenges faced, the wider support available to HR managers and Bupa’s he intermediary market.
an established market be true in other parts here are many other Bupa Global apart, ther parts of the world? here there are local rements?
number of partnerships to help it navigate these landscapes. Bupa Global has teamed up with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), bringing together two of the most respected names in healthcare, to deliver high quality health care products and services. Customers have access to the largest networks of health care providers worldwide, utilising Blue Cross Blue Shield networks in the U.S. and Bupa’s networks outside the U.S, subject to certain restrictions and limitations.
of major medical treatment. It can be a frightening time and we have a great deal of expertise to be able to support our customers and their families through this. It is important to remember that whilst people may have been living and working in a country for some time, the medical system may be completely alien to them. al has established One case comes to mind which involved a ational business over customer who suffered a serious accident e provide customers in Antigua during a round-the-world sailing h products and trip. Immediately after the incident, Bupa minded and mobile Global got them airlifted by helicopter e most premium Bupa Global also recently acquired Care to a hospital in Miami. The cost of the ss to the healthcare Plus, the market leading health insurer patient’s twenty surgeries and subsequent anywhere in the world, in Brazil which serves more than 400 rehabilitation treatment was covered when studying, living, companies with about 100,000 members. by Bupa – helping them gain the peace abroad. In Switzerland we have recently established of mind needed to focus solely on their a local presence, specifically to help recovery. ces around the world support our intermediaries, clients and d Brighton (UK), Miami customers to ensure that we can offer Q. What can Bupa do to assist HR managers (Denmark), Dubai complete peace of mind around their faced with relocating staff overseas? with OIC), and Hong healthcare. as regional offices in With global assignments consistently gapore, Egypt, Mexico, Q. Have you examples where Bupa has increasing, so does the need for effective , Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, gone ‘above and beyond’ what would talent acquisition, care and retention. ador. normally be expected from an insurer? Acquiring, retaining and supporting top global talent is a significant investment, es our globally mobile Every day we are dealing with customers with unforeseen challenges often arising. employers face is the who need our help and every situation is This means careful consideration and litical landscape that different. Going above and beyond can preparation prior, during and post ves. The old assumption mean different things to different people. assignment is vital. impact globally Some people need urgent assistance from nd families is no longer us and by just making sure that happens Bupa Global carried out two extensive n has emerged as a can be perceived by the customer as pieces of research with 150 HR Directors tor in being able to going above and beyond. To us, that is just and 1,851 globally mobile employees ertain countries and what we do. to understand what businesses are experiencing when it comes to the Where we feel we make a real difference is changing requirements and demand for pa Global has a when people are faced with the prospect international health and wellbeing benefits.
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 15
(
advogroup.co.uk |interview with Teresa Wighton
advo interviews Bupa Global’s UK Sales Directo (continued from page 15.)
doctor visits with local clinics, and connecting customers with doctors by video chat.
Bupa Global ha the Bupa Globa Q. What can Bupa do to assist HR managers offers clinical e faced with relocating staff overseas? Q. What is more important, value for money, our customers a good benefit coverage, effective claims requires our tea The research shows there has been increased management or good administration? experience to d demand in the quality and quantity of health available treat and wellbeing benefits by those who work All of the above! national guidel regularly overseas. Half (52%) of HR directors cultures and of report a rising demand from these employees Any insurance policy should give you peace of hand througho for international private medical insurance mind that should you fall ill that your medical over the past five years. A third (32%) of HR costs will be met. That’s at the very core of Q. Employers c directors have also had to improve the quality what Bupa Global offers. This is underpinned over the world. of health and wellbeing benefits offered to by providing access to a network of world the global dem globally mobile staff over the last decade. class facilities. Giving customers access to the without having International private medical insurance and right care at the right time and place, coupled flexible working hours are among employees’ with compassionate and caring customer As a leading he most desired benefits, with a quarter (25%) of service, as well as case management for those take a forward staff expecting more from their employer in more complex cases, where people need our clients navi these areas than they did five years ago. support on an on-going basis. landscape. We changes as co Global assignments also have the potential to We don’t just want to be there when people systems and ma be as challenging as they are rewarding, both fall ill though. We encourage people to use particularly imp professionally and personally. And healthcare the holistic wellness benefits that feature on the United Stat considerations remain at the forefront of some of our products, so they can proactively the landscape assignees minds during this period of their lives, manage their health. This includes access whether it’s for them or their families. to private GPs, access to an independent We take a very second medical opinion, vaccinations, dental, diligently with a At Bupa Global, our primary focus is to optical and health assessments. resources to en deliver end-to-end support and services to schemes are co our clients and customers alike. This holistic What’s more, all of our customers have access approach offers best in class client support. to our in-house 24/7 Healthline service, which Where relevant Here we focus on end-to end service delivery gives them access to an in-house specialist for adjustments to beginning at implementation all the way anything from guidance around local medical limits), exclusion through to creating innovative health and protocols or help finding a doctor. where practica wellbeing agendas tailored to the needs of the nature of th our clients and customers and everything inQ. What is the most challenging part of any changes th between. managing an international book of clients? underlying syste This means staying at the cutting edge of technology and innovation to support their daily needs as well as looking into the future and how innovation can improve service. That’s why – in addition to our internal health and wellbeing services and innovative roadmap, we have further invested in the client and customer journey’s by entering into a key strategic partnership with Health Tap. Our partnership with HealthTap will deliver truly innovative healthcare solutions to improve the lives of Bupa customers globally.
When you talk to a customer who needs medical treatment and they are unfamiliar with their local medical system and culture it can be a really anxious time for them. Our job is to help guide them through that, whilst ensuring they receive the most appropriate care. This is not always the easiest balancing act! A patient may be told they need a certain type of treatment, yet from experience we may believe that’s not necessarily the best course of action.
In some situatio known business additional loca Bupa Global ha with a number often have Bup joined up appr is in the Middle employees wor Oman Insuranc
It is really important that we put the customer at the centre of all our thinking and work closely with our case management teams and second medical opinion service to help support them.
If you wish to fin Global and wh fit for your orga of Proposition, L advogroup.co.
Over the past year we have worked together to implement a number of solutions for dayto-day customer needs, such as easily finding local doctors covered by Bupa insurance, scheduling physiotherapy, immunisations, and
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 16
advogroup.co.uk |the best people
or
as its own assistance company, al Assistance Model. This expertise and assistance to around the world. Each case am to use their considerable deal with different systems, tments, international and lines, governing bodies and f course hold the customer’s out the entire process.
can have employees spread . How can an insurer meet mands and local requirements to use multiple providers?
ealth and care company we d thinking approach to help igate the global compliance e also prepare for future ountries evolve their health care andated requirements. This is portant across mainland Europe, tes and the Middle East where is regularly evolving.
y active position and work all our internal and external nsure our international health ompliant at all times.
t we take steps to make benefits coverage (including ns and other product terms able to do so, considering he adjustments required and hat may be necessary to any ems and processes.
ons we partner with wellses on the ground that have al experience and insight, and as longstanding arrangements of insurance partners. We pa staff co-located to ensure a roach. A good example of this e East, where we have over 100 rking alongside our partner, the ce Company.
nd out more about Bupa hether they would be a good anisation contact advo’s Head Lucy Pearce on lpearce@ .uk.
annabelle vuong account support
advo: the‘best people’ advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 17
advogroup.co.uk | value a second opinion
value a second opin
Second opinion services are available through many health a insurances but employers often do not realise their potential.
Dominic Howard, Director, European Sales and Accounts at Best Doctors shares insights on the second medical and how it can benefit both employer and employee. What services do you offer? At its core the service is an independent expert second medical opinion service. It is available to 40+ million people in every major region across the world. It originated 30 years ago, founded by Harvard Medical School professors.
as it could possibly be. Mental health is an example of a huge challenge facing insurers and their clients. Best Doctors have already launched a service in Canada that extends the second opinion to mental health diagnoses which we aim to launch in the UK towards the end of the year. There is a prevalence of misdiagnosis It connects someone with a medical when it comes to mental health issues, as problem with an expert in that field to give a result of ill-equipped GPs. optimal diagnosis and treatment advice. Misdiagnosis is a major problem globally, What value does it provide? in fact the Mayo clinic reported 21% It benefits the employee and their of patients referred to them had been dependants as well as the employer in misdiagnosed. Best Doctors report several ways. changing the diagnosis in 17% of cases they review and recommend a change in When it comes to the employee, the treatment in over 30% of the cases. dependants including spouse, partner, children and in some cases, parents have The service is also offered to dependants access to the service. It addresses a lot of and so can have an affect on employee problems that are prevalent today. We presenteeism. The employee will not live in an age of uncertainty and when feel as burdened with worry if they know you add the internet to the mix, it creates there are experts helping with their family cyberchondria (a growing concern members case. among many healthcare practitioners as patients can now research any and The benefit for the employer is twoall symptoms of a rare disease, illness fold. Having this service allows them or condition, and manifest a state of to demonstrate a duty of care to their medical anxiety). It’s also creating an employee and their dependants. Also, appetite for more information at the same there are better health outcomes, time. which allow for a quicker return to work. The top 2 ailments we deal with In our everyday lives, we seek second are musculoskeletal and cancer. It is opinions for almost every other area of estimated that musculoskeletal problems our lives, so why not do the same for a cost the UK economy £14bn a year, these medical diagnosis and treatment? It include back neck and muscle problems. addresses the information paradox. We believe this service helps to put Each report that is delivered to the people on the right mental and physical employee, or dependant is tailored to path by receiving an expert assessment. their personal needs. The expert they refer Improving absenteeism and productivity. to is specialised in an area that is relevant A service that on its own can be used to to the patients’ needs. Using the patient’s attract and retain the right employees as medical records allows the specialist to a part of their total reward programme. compile a response that is as accurate
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 18
A lot of people who can Best Doctors are those w chronic issues for years t been correctly identified example, a person with problems who is given s may benefit from manu procedures that can ac the problem.
Typically, when a perso Best Doctors, they have a consultant or specialis deliver a report based o imaging studies that the was looking at, Best Doc recommend they share their GP or consultant d referred to. We don’t ai doctor, but instead supp to come up with the be pathway for that patien
How are the experts sel The short version would experts are referred to B other experts. The globa comprised of 52,000 do based in territories know excellence. This include as well as Australia and predominantly the repo US and Europe. The dat consultants and surgeo respected in their speci
Each doctor in the data they would want to trea family members if they h medical problems and nominated pool of expe The company does not choose the experts and nominate themselves, it nomination process.
advogroup.co.uk |value a second opinion
nion
and risk
l opinion service
n benefit from who have had that have not d or treated. For h chronic back steroid injections ual therapy or other ccurately target
on is referred to e already seen st. When they on the same e original doctor ctors always e the report with doctor they were im to replace their port the doctor est healthcare nt.
lected? be to say the Best Doctors by al database is octors who are wn for medical es the US, Europe Japan but orts come from the tabase is filled with ons who are well ialised field.
abase is asked who at them or their had any serious that is how the erts is compiled. personally d experts can’t t is an independent
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 19
advogroup.co.uk | value a second opinion
value a second opinion continued from page 19... Has there ever been resistance from GP’s to rely on the support of Best Doctors second opinion? It is very rare, but any doctor is entitled to push back, as medicine is often not black and white. If we independently review a case and find a non-invasive treatment to that case, we simply deliver our opinion because we are not practicing medicine but providing information.
Best D
advo’s Co talks abo
“Alex was on was now ove remain so cle quietly, witho which was th appeared to bug, he was s anything dow of being deh
There were no we hear abo the dehydrat however, with him to A&E w potential stro
We don’t want to ruin that doctorpatient relationship but instead strengthen it. If any doctor does have any doubts about the service we provide, those are quickly dispelled once they see the quality of the reports we compile as well as the credentials of the specialist who has authored the report.
The problem extremely rar scarce knowl
The second opinion as a service is very much of its time and we feel that we are ahead of the curve in terms of the service we provide.
The stroke wa Alex of mobil personality. H simple tasks s drinking in ad interact with knowledge, e his life again.
Dominic’s article was first published in Reward Magazine
He was ‘blue Great Ormon the diagnosis confirmed an had died.
This was a ve medical know with fundame remaining un Was the treat receiving cor his prognosis? return? Would
Dominic Howard Best Doctors Director Europe
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 20
Fortunately, ju attended a B where I had b to Best Docto service to the Again I was fo Bupa critical allowed me a Doctors servic
advogroup.co.uk | value a second opinion
Doctors case study - relief and peace of mind
ommercial Director, Colin Boxall, is a supporter of the Best Doctor’s service. Colin out why they were invaluable when his son had a stroke.
nly 8 at the time, although it er 10 years ago the events ear. The stroke occurred out any unusual drama, he scariest thing. Alex o have a simple childhood sick, could not keep wn and displayed symptoms hydrated.
one of the classic ‘signs’ out. Our GP supported ted diagnosis. His mother h a parent’s initiation, took where after a long wait a oke was suggested.
was the condition was re for a child his age with ledge of his condition.
e lighted’ to nd Street where s of a stroke was nd part of his brain
I called and spoke to one of their Doctors, and almost straight away they had contacted all concerned, GP, hospitals and specialists and obtained all of Alex’s medical history and notes. This was collated and sent out to their specialist network.
Having access to Best Doctor’s at this crucial time provided the peace of mind and the strength to face and overcome this horrible situation.
We were also thankful, and fully understand the need for a critical illness policy. The NHS was great, but the money Within a short time they located a leading from our family critical illness policy paediatrician in the USA with experience freed up funds to cover the long-term of Alex’s condition who was able to rehabilitation and specialist schooling. answer our questions giving complete reassurance and peace of mind. I would urge everyone to look again at the additional services provided by health The good news, if you can call any news and risk insurers. They can be a godsend if good in this situation, was that Alex’s age faced by similar circumstances.” worked in his favour. His brain was able to adapt and make new connections allowing a slow but strong path back to You can see Alex’s story on the following health. He is now, after a long and brave link. https://www.youtube.com/ fight, back to normality and enjoying life. watch?v=c5akYnwW43E
as evil, it robbed lity, knowledge and He had to re-learn such as eating and ddition to how to people and past effectively restarting .
ery worrying time, wledge was limited ental questions nanswered. tment he was rrect? What was ? Would normality d it happen again?
ust previously I had Bupa training course been introduced ors as an additional eir policyholders. ortunate to have a illness policy which access to the Best ce.
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 21
advogroup.co.uk |NHS scorecard
a
o he The NHS is 70, but what is its state of health? The Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust, Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Kings Fund has looked at today’s NHS. Where the NHS stands in the world, its strengths and where improvements are needed. Our commitment to healthcare free at the point of use means the UK’s NHS is world-leading in ensuring people are protected from financial hardship when they need treatment. The NHS however underperforms when compared to other similar countries in preventing deaths from killer diseases such as cancer and heart attacks. The NHS also has fewer doctors, nurses, hospital beds and CT and MRI scanners than other countries and spends a slightly below average proportion of national income on healthcare. That’s according to a major new analysis of the NHS in an international context published for the BBC as part of their programming for the NHS’s 70th birthday [1].
The report, entitled How good is the NHS? and published by the Nuffield Trust, the Health Foundation, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and The King’s Fund, looks at three aspects of what constitutes a good healthcare system in the UK compared to 18 similar developed countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA [2]. The three aspects examined are:
Chris Ham, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund said:
i). the speed and accessibility of care:
“While this is a moment to celebrate its many achievements, the evidence that the NHS lags behind other countries in reducing premature deaths from diseases like cancer and heart attacks is a timely reality check. The UK stands out in removing financial barriers to people accessing care but needs to do better in improving health outcomes.”
ii). the efficiency of the system; and the outcomes it achieves. iii). What the health service has to work with in terms of money, staff, equipment and the health of the population [3].
advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 22
“As it [NHS] turns 70, the NHS is neither performing as well as its supporters sometimes claim, nor as badly as its critics often allege.”
advogroup.co.uk | NHS scorecard
mixed scorecard compared to other international ealthcare systems The Report outlines the key strengths of the UK’s NHS which include:
Key weaknesses include:
the UK in 2016, compared to an average of 5.5 across the • The UK’s NHS performs worse than comparator countries. the average in the treatment of 8 • It provides unusually good out of the 12 most common causes Commenting on the report and financial protection to the public of death, including deaths within its findings, Nigel Edwards, Chief from the consequences of ill health. 30 days of having a heart attack Executive, Nuffield Trust said: For example it has the lowest and within five years of being proportion of people who skipped diagnosed with breast cancer, “Discussion about the NHS is often medicine due to cost (2.3% in 2016 rectal cancer, colon cancer, marked by an unhelpful degree compared to an average of 7.2% pancreatic cancer and lung of exaggeration, from those that across the comparator countries). cancer, despite narrowing the claim it is the envy of the world to gap in recent years [4]. those who say it is inferior to other • It is relatively efficient: the UK systems.“ has the largest share of generic • It is the third poorest performer prescribing of all comparator compared to the 18 developed “The reality is a much more mixed countries, at 84% in 2015 compared countries on the overall rate at picture, but one thing is clear: to an average of 50%. which people die when successful we run a health system with very medical care could have saved scarce resources in terms of staff • It performs well in managing their lives (known as ‘amenable and equipment and achieve poor patients with some long-term mortality’). outcomes in some vital areas like conditions like diabetes and kidney cancer survival.” diseases: fewer than one in a • It has consistently higher rates thousand people are admitted of death for babies at birth or just to hospital for diabetes in a given after (perinatal mortality), and in continued on page 24..... year, compared to over two in a the month after birth (neonatal thousand admitted in Austria or mortality): 7 in 1000 babies died at Germany. birth or in the week afterwards in
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advogroup.co.uk |engaged employees
NHS: a mixed scorecard compared to other international healthcare systems continued from page 23... Other findings of the report include: • The UK is in the middle of the pack when it comes to the length of time people wait for treatment: people requiring a hip replacement waited around 97 days in the UK in 2015, compared to 150 days in Spain and 42 days in the Netherlands. A&E waits are also average, according to survey data. • The NHS has a lower than average number of staff for all professional groups except midwives: in the UK there is one doctor for every 356 people, compared to one for every 277 people on average across the comparator countries. • The UK has very low levels of hospital beds and the lowest levels of both CT and MRI scanners: it has fewer beds per person than 16 of the 18 other countries. The authors warn that international comparisons of this type offer a partial picture at best, with limited or patchy data meaning that several areas like mental health cannot be compared internationally. Dr Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive, Health Foundation said: “Compared to the other 18 countries the UK has middling funding and middling performance overall. We can be proud of the fact that the UK is a standout nation where people are not put off from seeking care due to cost, and
the NHS is cheap to run. Austerity has bitten hard, and the lag of investment shows. If we want to hold our head up high next to our European neighbours we can and must do better.” Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies gave his view stating: “The truth about the NHS is that by international standards it is a perfectly ordinary healthcare system, providing average levels of care for a middling level of cost.”
“Access is good and people are protected from high costs, but its performance in treating people with cancer is poor, and international comparisons suggest too many people in the UK die when good medical care could have saved their lives.” Notes 1. To mark the BBC’s coverage of the NHS’s 70th birthday in July 2018, researchers from the Health Foundation, Institute for Fiscal Studies, The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust have joined forces for the first time, using combined expertise to shed light on some of the big questions on the NHS. Today’s report is the first and largest output, with subsequent briefings on NHS funding, public expectations of the NHS, social care and technology to follow this week. 2. The countries selected for comparison fit into the following groups: the EU15, the G7 and the Anglosphere. Excluding city states, this leaves the following 18 comparator countries: Australia, Austria,
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Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the USA. 3. The report draws on a number of publicly available datasets, largely but not exclusively from the OECD. 4. The top 12 most lethal diseases selected for comparison are: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory tract infection, suicide, dementia, stroke, heart attack. 5. How good is the NHS? is authored by Mark Dayan (Nuffield Trust), Elaine Kelly (Institute for Fiscal Studies), Tim Gardner (The Health Foundation), Deborah Ward (The King’s Fund).
https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/ files/2018-06/the-nhs-at-70-howgood-is-the-nhs.pdf
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advogroup.co.uk |what can help workplace stress
eight in ten UK workers stressed at work. What An improvement in working practices and approach is needed as new IIP statistics reveal how work and home life is affected through workplace stress 80% of UK workers say that they’ve felt stress at work, with 59% saying that their mental health has been negatively impacted by their work, according to the findings of Investors in People’s first ever Managing Mental Health report.
that their workplace supports their mental wellbeing, while 34% agreed that their office had a culture of openness around mental health. This means that in both instances, the majority of UK workers don’t feel that there is support in place, should they have a mental health concern.
while at home, compared to less than half (49%) of men.
Not only does the Managing Mental Health report suggest that stress frequency is higher among women, it also reveals that women are more likely than men to feel like they could The research, conducted in discuss their mental health, early April 2018, sets out how Of those who responded to the with 59% saying they’d discuss stress and workplace anxiety are poll, there were clear gender a concern with a colleague, impacting workers of all regions, trends in the way that men and while just 46% of men would feel sectors, ages and genders. women interact with their mental comfortable doing the same. health while at work. IIP also sought out employee IIP also sought to identify the attitudes on how line 83% of women say that they’ve extent to which mental health management and workplace felt stressed at work, compared support would be a priority for culture contribute to stress to 74% of men. This trend toward an employee, over and above awareness and management in women feeling more stressed other employee benefits like a the office. than men, is compounded by 3% pay rise. the fact that 57% of women say Just 36% of those surveyed said they’ve felt work-related stress
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advogroup.co.uk | what can help workplace stress
reveal they’ve felt can help? • 25% would rather have a trustworthy manager than a 3% pay rise; • 27% would rather have a comprehensive healthcare package than a 3% pay rise;
workplace stress by encouraging good communication within teams; good relations between managers and their employees; monitoring workload; conducting regular 1-2-1’s; providing relevant training; and by taking immediate action when they are aware there is an issue. In short being aware and being there for staff”
There is a lot more awareness of people suffering from stress at work and there has certainly been an increase in the number of employers wanting assistance IIP CEO, Paul Devoy said on this issue. “Increasing credence is being paid to the impact of workThe HSE has confirmed that related stress and mental 12.5 million working days were wellbeing on UK workplaces, lost due to work-related stress, and rightly so. Recent statistics depression or anxiety last year. suggest that the loss of Relationships, money problems, productivity stemming from poor work; many things can put an mental health (presenteeism, employee at risk of burning out. absenteeism, lack of focus etc.) could be costing our economy If you are a manager it’s your as much as £99 billion a year. job to keep an eye out for the warning signs and help prevent This figure, coupled with IIP’s core a burn out before it happens. finding that 80% of British workers admit to feeling stress at work, Carly Gregory, Business Partner prove the strength of correlation at advo hr commented on the between mental health and IIP survey saying “Employers can productivity. do much to help prevent
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Paul continued, “These same workers were most likely to agree that their workplace could better support their mental health by providing line managers with more training focused on mental health. If employers were to heed these insights, they could reap the dual reward of happier employees and a more prosperous business.” advo group is an Investors in People GOLD employer. Investors in People poll of 1000 men and 1000 women full time workers in the UK was launched in March 2018. Data was captured via an online survey carried out by research organisation One Poll. This data was then used to inform the findings presented in IIP’s ‘Managing Mental Health in the Workplace 2018’ poll.
You can view the IIP report in full by following this link. https://www.investorsinpeople. com/sites/default/files/IIP_ MentalHealth_Final.pdf
Employers can do much to help prevent workplace stress by encouraging good communication
Carly Gregory, advo hr Business Partner
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advogroup.co.uk |let’s be clear about Hepatitis
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Alcoholic Hepatitis is common in the UK and many people don’t realise they have it
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advogroup.co.uk | let’s be clear about Hepatitis
let’s be clear about Hepatitis
In our most recent health focus we take a closer look at Hepatitis in its various forms and highlight the risks. Hepatitis is the term used to describe inflammation of the liver, caused by either viral infections or from damage caused from drinking too much alcohol. Hepatitis can be either acute (short term) or develop into a chronic condition (long term). Short-term effects can include muscle and joint pain, high temperature, feeling unusually tired all the time and yellowing of the eyes and skin.
failure or liver cancer.” HEPATITIS A: Usually caught by consuming contaminated food or drink in countries with poor sanitation. It generally passes within a few months of contracting the virus, but can cause pain, itching, and nausea. HEPATITIS B: Is a blood borne virus, commonly spread from infected women to their babies; or through childto-child contact. It can also be caused through unprotected sex or injuries from needle use.
Long-term effects may not be obvious until the liver stops working (liver failure), but in the latter stages it can cause jaundice, swelling in Adults can generally fight off the the legs and feet, confusion and virus within a couple of months blood in your stools. However, children that contract the infection often develop chronic The most common viral cases of Hepatitis B, which can lead to Hepatitis are Hepatitis A, B, C, D cirrhosis and liver damage and E. Hepatitis B is now on the routine immunisation programme for Andrew Harris, Client Wellbeing children. Manager at Healthy Performance commented “Whilst there are HEPATITIS C: several forms of Hepatitis, one on Is also a blood borne virus, it’s the most prevalent in the UK can commonly spread through sharing be prevented by reducing alcohol needles, or other needle injuries consumption. It is the most common type of viral Hepatitis in the UK. Alcoholic hepatitis is common in the UK and many people don’t 80% of people who contract realise they have it because Hepatitis C will develop a chronic it doesn’t usually cause any infection. symptoms, although it can cause sudden jaundice and liver failure in HEPATITIS D: some people. Stopping drinking will Only affects those already infected usually allow your liver to recover, with Hepatitis B as it needs the virus but if you continue to drink alcohol to be able to survive in the body excessively, there’s a risk you could Usually spread through blood-toeventually develop cirrhosis, liver blood contact or sexual contact
It’s uncommon in the UK, but is more widespread in other parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America. Long-term infection with Hepatitis D and Hepatitis B can increase your risk of developing serious problems, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer No vaccine but the Hepatitis B vaccine can help protect you from it. HEPATITIS E: Has spiked in recent years, and has been linked with eating raw or undercooked pork, as well as wild boar, venison and shellfish. Maintaining good food and water hygiene when in countries with poor sanitation is the main way to reduce your risk. ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS: Caused from years of excessive drinking. Reduce your risk by consuming no more than 14 units a week.
Andrew Harris is Client Wellbeing Manager at Healthy Performance, the employee health and wellbeing specialists. He has over 15 years’ experience of delivering Health and Wellbeing Services to businesses throughout the UK.
As well as employee health checks, Healthy Performance delivers a variety of workshops, For more information visit www. healthyperformance.co.uk
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advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading
find every copy of advocate magazine online at issuu.com/advogroup issue #25 spring 2018 I In the Spring edition Jamie and Amy who both successfully completed their Marathons, a fantastic achievement as both also smashed their fund-raising targets. You can read all about their marathon motivation in this issue. advo’s Operations Manager, Lucy Irvine talks about why she is so passionate about the Working Forward initiative and why advo is a member. We also take a closer look at staff benefits and the financial case for implementing a wellness programme, why dental should be considered an important part of staff benefits and the expected increase in demand for health insurances. We also consider employee engagement and how SMEs can replicate the approach of their PLC counterparts. In health related matters we look at testing for prostate cancer and the little talked about cancer, bowl cancer.
issue #24 winter 2017 In this edition, we look at how the partnership with our chosen charity, ellenor, has become part of the advo daily life. We announce the 2017 ‘advonian’ of the year and other award winners, and focus on two marathon runners who are taking to the streets of Brighton and London. There is a closer look at what benefits work for employers and In keeping with the benefits theme we highlight an important benefit often overlooked, eyecare, and how it can better support your overall health. With one of the biggest structural and organisational changes coming in 2018 with the implementation of GDPR we ask whether it is a force for good or just more red tape, advo’s operations director also gives her 5 tips on how to make the transition easier.
issue #23 autumn 2017 In this edition, we look at recognition from our peers with a night out at our industry’s ‘Oscars’ where glitz and reward came together. And he spotlight fell on both our people and technology. There has been criticism of annual staff appraisals with some calling them pointless and time consuming. advo disagrees and in an article focusses on the positives and how instead the system just needs modernising. Also with mental health in the spotlight once again we have included useful information to help HR professionals. What is the difference between anxiety and depression? We take a closer look. We look at the largest risk insurer’s claims figures, We take a look at how advo recruits and supports staff with a focus on Ellie Sultana’s career journey in ‘an advonian’s journey
don’t miss a copy, subscribe to our issuu channel... its 100% free! advocate summer 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 30
advogroup.co.uk | the advo group
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