Hello everyone I remember reading an article in a health and safety journal about the cost/benefit of providing physiotherapy services to employees. Please can anyone direct me to the journel in question or any other articles on this subject

Rachel We have used the same NHS physiotherapist who also has a private practice for a number of years on an ad hoc basis. We refer our staff to him for a reduced rate for both personal and work related issues and he also comes in and does the occasional presentation to staff who we feel are at risk from the type of manual handling we have in our business as well as workstation assessments when the usual solutions have not work. Its worked well for us but we have benefited from building up a personal relationship over a number of years

It is a sad fact that people needing physiotherapy can wait up to several months before being able to receive it from NHS physiotherapists. Therefore, some employers, including police forces and local authorities (such as my own employer) have contracts with private physiotherapists by which employees can receive “fast track” physiotherapy for injuries or conditions, irrespective of whether they stem from work activities or situations outside work. Though such arrangements might be perceived as an expensive ‘perk’, employers with such arrangements are likely to confirm the benefits outlined on the above quoted websites. In particular the cost to employers of such a facility is greatly outweighed by the savings through avoiding/reducing the sickness absence or reduced work capability which would otherwise occur through employees having to wait for NHS physiotherapy. Such savings also include those arising from continuity of service/work capacity. In addition, it is far better for employees to remain in or return earlier than otherwise to work compared with languishing at home with untreated conditions. In my own organisation all employees, whether full timers or part timers, irrespective of status or role, are eligible, subject to being referred by their line manager. Goodness knows who the top person in an organisation asks if he or she ever wants fast track treatment! Perhaps they are allowed to self-refer. Employers which have a fast track physiotherapy service help to relieve the NHS of some of its physiotherapy patient load, and thus ought to be recognised financially for doing so. However, HM Revenue & Customs regard such treatment as a taxable benefit for employees who receive it, and therefore subsequently deduct from them the taxable element of the cost of their treatment. Even so, this is still far cheaper for such employees than if they paid for the full cost of personally obtaining private physiotherapy treatment. Graham Bullough