Keep Things Moving!

Data analysed by Physio Med, has shown that logistics businesses are potentially losing hundreds of millions of pounds a year by not providing employees with timely access to physiotherapy.

The new research shows sickness absence in the transport, distribution and storage industry is amongst the highest in the private sector, with businesses losing 8.4 working days per employee per year, against a national average of 7.7 days, at an estimated cost of £1.55billion a year.

Musculoskeletal injuries account for a large proportion of these lost working days and, with NHS physiotherapy waiting times currently standing at almost 12 weeks, the absence of employees requiring treatment could be costing logistics employers up to £270 million* per year.

Phil Clayton, Physio Med's Managing Director, said: "The facts are clear, musculoskeletal injuries are the second most common reason for employees requiring time off work. In its Health at Work2 report the Government concluded that early intervention medical treatments or vocational rehabilitation could dramatically improve sickness absence levels, and indeed recommended these provisions should be made tax deductible for employers.

"Waiting times for NHS physiotherapy treatment stand at an average of almost 12 weeks. Having a member of staff absent for that length of time - before treatment even begins - can have a phenomenal cost impact on your business. By speeding the process up and providing almost immediate access to quality physiotherapy treatment those absences can be vastly reduced. And of course the quicker the treatment begins the more effective it is which is beneficial to the individual as well."

Based on its own client data, Physio Med has found that an average of two per cent of employees require physiotherapy each year. With an estimated 2.3 million employees in the logistics industry, this means 46,000 employees every year face lengthy waits for treatment.

Physio Med has a network of more than 2500 Senior Chartered Physiotherapists in 750 carefully selected practices across the UK. Its innovative PAL service (Physiotherapy Advice Line) - which provides a speedy telephone triage service and, if appropriate, supports patients in the self management of their condition via web-based services, delivers significant return on investment to customers.