Following today’s review of the NHS from the Institute for Fiscal Studies for the Nuffield Trust think tank, Jelf Employee Benefits’ commercial director, Ronjit Bose said:
“Even the mere talk of NHS services not being free at the point of use, could mean that employer-funded schemes begin to look more attractive to employees.
“We are at the beginning of one of the biggest shake-ups in health and social care and employees will look to their employer for guidance about how to best provide for themselves and their families.
“PMI can be overlooked by some groups, such as younger staff that don’t always see the value in the product and are therefore not receptive to usual communications. However, as the strain on the NHS becomes increasingly apparent, we anticipate an uptake in PMI in traditionally more reluctant groups.
“We are also likely to see employers and employees using PMI as a bargaining tool during the recruitment process, particularly during times of economic uncertainly and widespread salary freezes.”
Key findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies review:
– Rationing of care and charging for services in the NHS should be considered as NHS faces at least a decade of austerity: the toughest since dental and prescription fees were introduced.
– The NHS alone accounts for nearly a quarter (23%) of public spending – and therefore decisions made about the NHS and social care will also have a knock on effect to other public services.
– Even if the NHS received an extra 2.4% in settlements over the period 2015-2022, it would not be enough to keep pace with the demands of an aging population.
– Radical steps that should be considered include charging for services, stopping doing some care considered less of a priority and raising taxes.
