Healthcare access barriers costing UK economy £17bn

Difficulties accessing healthcare are costing the UK economy an estimated £17bn a year, as employees lose working time waiting for care and continue working while unwell.

According to The Access Gap: Building Healthcare Around Real Working Lives report from health care provider Simplyhealth, employees lost an average of 2.1 working days during the past year because of delayed or difficult access to healthcare.

More than half (52 per cent) had delayed seeking medical care, often because appointments did not fit around their schedule or because they could not, or were worried about, taking time away from work.

The findings form part of a wider analysis of the economic impact of poor workforce health, conducted by WPI Economics for Simplyhealth.

It estimated poor workforce health cost the UK economy £86.9bn in 2025, including £51.6bn in lost output from sickness absence and £20.1bn in lost productivity caused by presenteeism.

Employees reported working an average of five days while unwell or injured during the past year. Those who did so said their output fell by more than 40 per cent on those days.

Time spent dealing with healthcare-related administration during working hours was itself valued at £2.6bn, equivalent to 32,500 full-time employees.

The findings strengthen the case for employers to consider healthcare access as part of workforce health and wellbeing strategy, rather than focusing solely on whether a health benefit is available.

Almost two-thirds (66 per cent) of employees said they believed they would be more productive if they could access healthcare more quickly, while 78 per cent of employers agreed employees increasingly expect better healthcare support through the workplace.

WPI Economics estimated that even a relatively small improvement in the speed at which employees can access healthcare could generate £2.5bn in economic benefits.

Paul Schreier, CEO of Simplyhealth, said: “The way we work has changed dramatically, but the way people access healthcare has not always kept pace. Too many employees are still struggling to get timely support that fits around their working lives, leading to delays in treatment, lost productivity and poorer health outcomes.

“Our research shows that employees are losing valuable working time simply trying to access care, while employers are seeing the impact through absence, reduced productivity and employee experience.

“Closing the access gap is a practical opportunity for employers and the economy. Employers should look carefully at whether their health support is genuinely easy to access, fast to navigate and designed around the realities of modern working life. Getting this right can mean healthier people, stronger businesses and a more productive economy.”

The research also identified a gap between how employers perceive their healthcare benefits and the experience of employees using them.

While 90 per cent of employers offering healthcare benefits believed those benefits were flexible, 52 per cent of employees said they needed greater flexibility than was currently available.

Employees identified options including virtual appointments, evening and weekend availability, faster access to clinicians and support tailored to different life stages as ways healthcare could better fit around work and other responsibilities.

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) said they would value healthcare support tailored to different stages of life.

The report looked at the experiences of groups including parents, carers, people experiencing menopause and perimenopause, those going through relationship changes and employees approaching retirement.

Dr Macarena Staudenmaier, Head of Clinical Product & Operations at Simplyhealth, said: “Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever and people’s healthcare needs increasingly vary according to their life stage, responsibilities and working patterns. Yet many healthcare services are still designed around traditional models that don’t always reflect how people live and work today.

“Flexibility increasingly means being able to access healthcare around work and personal commitments. Faster GP appointments, evening and weekend availability, and simpler booking systems are among the changes employees say would most improve their ability to access healthcare.

“More broadly, flexible healthcare can include support tailored to different life stages and circumstances, digital and virtual services, 24/7 GP access, and solutions that help people manage their health without disrupting work or family life.

“The research suggests that accessible, flexible healthcare is not just a matter of convenience, but an important factor in achieving better health outcomes. Delays in seeking care can mean health concerns become more complex and harder to treat. Designing healthcare around real working lives can help people access support earlier, reduce delays to treatment and improve health outcomes, while making it easier to manage their health alongside work and personal commitments.”

Matthew Oakley, Director and Founder of WPI Economics, said: “From the significant impacts on people themselves, to lost productivity and higher public spending, workplace ill health is costing us all. Overall, our analysis shows that in 2025, poor workplace health cost the UK £87bn, with almost £52bn attributable to sickness absence, and a further £20bn in lost productivity as a direct result of employees working while sick or injured. Urgent action is needed to ensure that ill health stops being an economic drag on the UK. Boosting access to both preventative support and healthcare when people do become sick, are vital to shortening recoveries and driving down presenteeism. In turn this could lead to significant personal, economic and social benefits.”

The findings come as the government seeks to address rising economic inactivity through its Keep Britain Working review, of which Simplyhealth is a Vanguard organisation.

The research was based on nationally representative surveys of 5,000 UK employees and 500 HR decision-makers, conducted by Opinium in April and May 2026, alongside economic analysis by WPI Economics.