Recent research suggests that almost half of UK adults have delayed or avoided contacting their GP about a health concern in the past year, often because they thought it’d be difficult to get an appointment¹.

Even as the NHS introduces new ways for GPs to access specialist advice before referral, many employees may still face delays in getting care.

When employees delay getting help, health issues that might have been relatively straightforward to deal with can end up requiring more complex treatment and more time off work.

This, in turn, can put extra pressure on colleagues and disrupt the day-to-day running of a business.

Employers face a choice – they can either wait until health issues have become more serious and deal with the consequences later, or they can act sooner and help employees get the support they need more quickly.

Here are five steps employers can take.

One of the main reasons employees will often delay getting help is that the first step can feel difficult or time-consuming, whether this is because it’s hard to get a GP appointment or because their health gets pushed aside when they're juggling work and home life.

Employers can help by making this first step easier.

Remote GP access, for instance, can make a big difference by giving employees a quicker and more convenient way to speak to a clinician, without them needing to take too much time out of their working day.

Simply making help easier to reach and fostering a culture where seeking help early feels more routine, can be enough to encourage employees to act sooner.

Getting medical advice quickly will never be an antidote to every problem, but it can help employees to understand what they are dealing with at an earlier stage, and to access the right support at the right time. By doing so, they reduce the chances of smaller problems escalating.

Elsewhere, consideration should be given to how support is communicated – if benefits are difficult to understand or poorly signposted, they are less likely to be used.

A single health issue or absence may not tell employers very much, but when they take a step back and view the workforce as a whole, patterns can start to appear.

Absence figures and other health-related insights can reveal where people may be struggling to get help early enough, whether this is seen in an increase in physical health issues or a rising demand for mental health support.

This kind of intelligence can highlight where clearer communication and more targeted support might be needed to prevent problems from becoming more widespread.

Identifying patterns early can be especially useful for SMEs, for whom just a small number of absence incidents can have a big business impact.

Supporting employee health should start before someone becomes ill.

Employers can make it easier for people to deal with problems while they are still manageable. This might include offering health assessments and health screenings, and creating a workplace environment where employees feel comfortable seeking help.

Raising awareness of health and specific conditions can also play an important role. Campaigns, webinars and, where appropriate, colleagues sharing their own lived experiences can help normalise conversations about health and encourage employees to act earlier.

Health cash plans, which help with routine healthcare costs for things such as dental check-ups, physiotherapy or eye care, can also play a useful role. Some providers also include wellbeing apps, giving employees access to a range of digital health and wellbeing services in one place.

Minor issues will not always remain minor, but the perceived cost of everyday healthcare can discourage some employees from accessing care.

No single benefit can address every stage of an employee’s health journey – different benefits play different roles at different stages.

Remote GP access can support with early advice, for example, cash plans can help with routine and preventative costs, health assessments and screenings can support with early detection, medical insurance can provide faster access to diagnosis and treatment, and group income protection can offer valuable early intervention and rehabilitation support where someone is unable to work for a longer period.

Together, these benefits offer a more complete pathway through prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

By taking a joined-up approach, gaps in provision can be minimised and employees can be supported in a more consistent way.

Some employees will face serious illnesses even when preventative measures are in place, and when they do, the impact can be financial as well as medical.

Recovery can take longer when someone needs more complex treatment and it may not always be clear when they'll be able to return to work.

This can put pressure on household finances, especially if there are extra treatment costs to contend with or changes to working arrangements.

In these circumstances, group critical illness cover can have an important role to play. It pays a tax-free cash lump sum if an employee is diagnosed with one of the serious illnesses specified by the policy. This can help to ease some of the financial uncertainty that often accompanies serious illness.

For employers meanwhile, instead of making decisions on a case-by-case basis, it can offer a more structured way of providing support. It can also lead to more effective absence management, with employees who feel financially supported often better able to focus on recovery and return-to-work plans.

The challenges around healthcare access are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. This makes it increasingly important for employers to think beyond reactive support.

Earlier intervention and a more joined-up approach to health and wellbeing can help reduce the wider impact of delayed healthcare.

Employers cannot predict when serious illness may happen, but they can make sure they are better prepared to deal with it.

Sources
¹ Public perceptions of the NHS and general practice, The Health Foundation, February 2026