WPA has launched a new low-cost health app for corporate clients, offering their employees access to a range of health services.
The digital health app is designed to appeal to businesses who do not have the budget to offer traditional health insurance across the workplace.
The key services available through the app include:
- Symptom checker: signposting employees towards pharmacists, GPs, mental health professionals or therapists.
- GP and primary care services: unlimited 24/7 access to remote GP consultations via video or phone calls, reducing constraints on access, consultation length or frequency.
- Mental health support: offering up to six telephone sessions with qualified mental health counsellors and a range of wellbeing resources.
- Physiotherapy access: expert advice, diagnosis and customised exercise programmes to address musculoskeletal conditions.
- wearables: the app integrates with smart watches and other wearables from companies such as Apple and Garmin.
Alongside these features the app’s central hub contains also providers health insights and tips ranging from fitness to sleep, guiding users towards proactive health management and illness prevention.
WPA says this new option will help employers tackle issues such as absenteeism, by encouraging better physical and mental health in the workplace. This comes as statistics published by the Resolution Foundation today show that those in their 20s are more likely to be absent from work due to mental health problems than those aged over 40.
Meanwhile data published by the Office of National Statistics shows that days lost through sickness absence in the UK is at a 10 year high in the UK.
WPA says the app offers a user-friendly and secure interface for employees. As well as helping reduce absenteeism, WPA says the app can help employers with recruitment, and aid retention rates. WPA Digital Health can also be enhanced with the integration of cash benefits, such as optical, dental and audiology which are claimable within the app.
For employers the app can also serve as a ‘corporate health wallet’, providing aggregated and anonymised data to leadership teams for a comprehensive understanding and actionable insights into their employees’ health and productivity.
WPA’s sales and marketing Director Mark Southern says: “WPA Digital Health is a great value solution to support the wellbeing of all employees proactively managing their health. Our aim is to help employers be more productive by supporting their workforce to access the services they need quickly and conveniently, therefore improving retention and recruitment.”
HJe adds: “With the last Autumn Budget’s emphasis upon individuals and companies being healthier, WPA Digital Health complements the ongoing HMT and DWP occupational health consultations helping companies fulfil their broader responsibilities.”
