The Access Gap: Building healthcare around real working lives
The way we work has changed, but healthcare access hasn't kept pace.
New research reveals that employees lose an average of 2.1 working days each year due to barriers accessing healthcare, costing the UK economy £17 billion annually.
Discover the scale of the healthcare access gap, its impact on people and business performance, and the actions employers can take to close it.
Healthcare access is now a business issue
Employees are struggling to access healthcare that fits around modern working lives. Long waits, complex pathways and services designed around traditional working patterns are driving lost productivity, increased stress and avoidable absence.
For employers, the challenge extends beyond employee wellbeing. Healthcare access is becoming a business-critical issue that directly affects productivity, retention and workforce experience.
£17bn
annual productivity cost to the UK economy.
2.1 days
lost per employee every year.
52%
have delayed seeking care in the past 12 months.
78%
of employers say demand for healthcare support is increasing.
Our research reveals the scale of the healthcare access gap and what it means for employers, HR leaders and workforce decision-makers. Inside, you'll discover:
The true cost of delayed healthcare access for employees, businesses and the UK economy.
Why employees and employers have different perspectives on healthcare support.
Which workforce groups face the greatest barriers to accessing timely care.
How healthcare access affects productivity, retention and employee wellbeing.
Why traditional one-size-fits-all healthcare benefits are no longer effective.
Practical actions employers can take to improve healthcare access and outcomes.
Key Findings
The access gap is costing businesses billions
More than half of employees have delayed seeking care in the last 12 months, contributing to an estimated £17 billion annual productivity cost to the UK economy.
Employees need more flexibility than employers realise
While 90% of employers believe they provide flexible healthcare support, 52% of employees say they need greater flexibility to access care.
Personalisation matters
68% of employees want healthcare support tailored to their life stage, highlighting growing demand for more personalised approaches.
Speed drives better outcomes
Employees and employers agree that faster access to healthcare improves productivity, wellbeing and workforce performance.
Get the full Access Gap report
Discover the scale of the healthcare access gap, its impact on people and business performance, and the actions employers can take to close it.
The workforce has changed. Healthcare must too.
Today's workforce is more diverse, flexible and complex than ever before.
From working parents and carers to employees navigating menopause, health conditions, relationship change or retirement planning, healthcare needs vary significantly across different life stages and circumstances.
Yet many workplace healthcare models remain built around a one-size-fits-all approach.
The report explores why employers need more flexible, personalised solutions that reflect the realities of modern working life.
Closing the access gap is an opportunity, not just a challenge
Improving healthcare access doesn't just benefit employees. It can also deliver measurable returns for employers.
Health and wellbeing programmes generate an average 1.9x return on investment, while faster access to healthcare can help reduce lost productivity, support retention and improve employee wellbeing.
With employees losing an average of 2.1 working days each year due to barriers accessing care, even modest improvements in access could unlock significant value for organisations and an estimated £2.5 billion economic benefit across the UK.
That £2.5bn opportunity is one of the strongest figures in your narrative and isn't currently featured anywhere on the page.
Helping organisations close the healthcare access gap
For over 150 years, Simplyhealth has helped people access affordable healthcare and support.
Today, Simplyhealth helps employers remove barriers to care by providing fast, easy access to everyday healthcare and wellbeing support that fits around real working lives.
By making healthcare more accessible, employers can support healthier people, stronger productivity and better business outcomes.
Get your copy of The Access Gap report
Discover the data, insights and recommendations helping employers build healthcare around real working lives.
Useful resources
How to reduce employee sick days in SMEs (UK)
UK employees now average 9.4 sick days a year - the highest in 15 years. See what’s driving absence and the most effective ways SMEs can bring those numbers down.
Improving access to healthcare via the workplace
In partnership with The Purpose Coalition
Recommendations for how to make it easier for businesses to reverse the workforce sickness epidemic and reduce economic inactivity.
Women's health in the workplace - guides
Offering advice on how to best support women's health in the workplace, shining a light on some of the most common health and life-stage issues people may face such as breast cancer prevention, fertility and managing menopause.
Simplyhealth insight
Employers see almost double the return on health benefits investment
Employees using health benefits more frequently in 2026
UK hits 5 million mental ill-health sick days in 2026
Too many barriers to access: a third of British workers don’t use their workplace health benefits
One in nine taking time off work for mental health, as many struggle to access support
Rising business costs are putting employee health cover at risk, with low-cost solutions more important than ever
Keep Britain Working discovery phase
Commission for Healthier Working Lives response
Source - all data has been referenced from the Access Gap report