Business Services
With the HSE estimating that sickness absence costs employers £495 on average per employee, per year in direct costs alone (source: www.hse.gov.uk/sicknessabsence), the personal health of employees is increasingly becoming a business critical issue.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a versatile healthcare solution proven by research to be effective in treating a wide range of health issues. We at The Sean Barkes Clinic are TCM specialists, and as a local business ourselves we are ideally placed to support your workforce to better health and you to better business.
The Issue : A Case Study
Clive works as a full time Caretaker at a company in the Lincoln area. He injures himself one day in the course of his duties. His employer has a sickness policy of paying employees at their full hourly rate during periods of sickness absence, up to a maximum period of 6 months. Clive is paid at a rate of £7.18 per hour (source: www.salarytrack.co.uk).
Clive visits his GP and is prescribed a period of rest and over-the-counter painkillers. He is ultimately absent from work for 3 working weeks, and during his absence his employer must take on an agency worker to complete Clive’s usual duties.
The cost of Clive’s sickness absence to his employer breaks down as follows:
Sick pay: £7.18 ph x 37 hours pw = £265.66 per week (x 3 weeks) = £796.98
Agency costs: £8.25 ph x 37 hours pw = £305.25 per week (x 3 weeks) = £915.75
TOTAL COST TO EMPLOYER = £1712.73
Now imagine the costs involved if Clive were to be absent from work for several months with anxiety and/or depression...
Our Solution
The example above is clearly over-simplified, based on average figures, and does not take into account indirect costs incurred by the employer, but Clive’s circumstances are not uncommon and pose a very real problem for employers. We feel that we can offer a very real solution to that problem.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic form of medicine, and we aim to apply the principles of holism to all aspects of our business activities. We approach healthcare in a highly individualised way, and are able to tailor solutions to the needs of the business, and the patient, but there are two main ways in which we can support businesses in their welfare goals.
About Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient form of medicine developed in China over thousands of years which includes the techniques of Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, and many more, and is an Holistic form of medicine.
Our bodies normally operate in a balanced, self-regulating manner. When this balance is disrupted, symptoms arise. The modern approach to disease is often to mask these symptoms, seeing them as an inconvenience. The holistic approach followed by Traditional Chinese Medicine is to appreciate symptoms as information. This information is used to define the core imbalance that is causing not just the main presenting symptom but also a range of other underlying symptoms.
An individual does not need to have symptoms in order to benefit from treatment though. The old adage “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” has always been seen as important in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and at one time in China, the patient would pay their doctor as long as they are well but will be treated for free if they fall ill.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been tested clinically over several thousand years, but it is only over the last few decades that its effectiveness has been tested using modern medical methods i.e. randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Following these studies, TCM has been accepted as being effective in treating a great many conditions by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and most recently has been proven effective, and cost-effective, in treating lower back pain in particular by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), who recommend best practice for all NHS and conventional medical activities.
Recent research into the safety of acupuncture shows that it is one of the safest forms of medicine available today. Certainly, in comparison to conventional medicines, its safety is unparalleled. Single use, disposable needles and strict codes of practice are used to guarantee patient safety. Our activities are governed by the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). The BAcC ensure the highest level of training at educational institutions and the continuing professional development of acupuncturists once they have qualified. The acupuncture profession is currently co-operating with government departments to embark upon a statutory regulation exercise. Within the next two to three years, acupuncturists will be state registered in the same way as nurses, osteopaths, and chiropractors etc.