Short term absenteeism is costly to business both in financial terms and because of the disruption it causes and the difficulty of planning for it. A CBI survey in 2010 found that 41% of short term absence and
37% of long term absence was due to back pain and/or musculoskeletal problems. Each episode of short term absence costs business an average of £760 and lasts for six days.

The average waiting time for NHS physiotherapy appointments in south west London is 12 weeks. At that appointment the person is likely to be assessed, given an exercise programme and a follow up date to see the physiotherapist again in four to six weeks so it’s unlikely there will be a speedy resolution to the problem.

Appointments at Physio & More are available within twenty four hours and usually the same day with one of our skilled team of practitioners. Follow up is in a matter of days with hands on treatment at regular intervals until the person has recovered. There is likely to be an exercise programme too and progress with this will be  monitored at each appointment. It is likely that early intervention will bring about faster improvement than delaying assessment and treatment.

At Physio & More we have a team of Physiotherapists, Chiropractics and Osteopaths, all are specialists in musculoskeletal problems and back pain and they can help get your employees back to work quickly in a health state that is best for them and that means best for you. We can also provide advice and training to prevent and minimise future episodes of pain. Employee assessment reports for employers can be undertaken with the express and written permission of the patient. Assessments of the workplace can be undertaken to reduce the risk of further problems occurring. For more information please call us on 020 8546 6464.

According to the Health & Safety Executive, musculoskeletal problems which includes back pain form the largest group of work-related illnesses, accounting for 1.2 million of an estimated 2 million cases
of occupational ill-health. The aim of working with businesses is to be able to bring about a reduction in absenteeism figures due to musculoskeletal related problems by promoting the benefits of early intervention. Benefits of early intervention are not only cost effective  but also cost saving.
The direct cost of absence during 2010 to UK business was £17billion but there are hidden costs too made up of a loss  of output and perhaps penalties for missing deadlines, compensation, legal fees and higher insurance premiums, medical costs, sickness benefits, fines and loss of goodwill.

The UK economy lost 190 million working days to absence last year, with each employee taking an average of 6.5 days off sick, according to the latest CBI/Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey. Despite
the introduction of the new “fit note” in 2010, the rate of absence last  year was marginally higher than in 2009, when employees averaged 6.4 sick days, the lowest rate since the survey began in 1987.

This year’s CBI survey was the first since the launch of the fit note  – the new medical certificate focussed on what people can do rather than what they can’t, designed to aid returns to work and reduce absence
costs.

Despite strong support for the initiative, employers have been disappointed by their experience so far: 66% of firms said that it had not yet helped their rehabilitation policy, and 71% were not confident that GPs were using the fit note differently from the old sick note. GPs  are of course just that, General Practitioners who may not feel confident to state that someone with a musculoskeletal problem is fit to  work, again, this is where our team of experts can help and advise promoting a healthy work place and saving you money.