The digital health app is targeted at companies without substantial budgets for traditional medical insurance, but want to take measures to improve the health and wellbeing of staff.
Key features of the app include:
- Symptom checker: guides employees to pharmacists, GPs, mental health professionals, or therapists based on symptoms.
- GP and primary care services: unrestricted 24/7 access to remote GP consultations via video or phone calls, eliminating constraints on access, consultation length, or frequency.
- Mental health support: offers up to six telephone sessions with qualified mental health counsellors and a variety of well-being resources.
- Physiotherapy access: provides expert advice, diagnosis, and personalised exercise programs to address musculoskeletal conditions.
- Wearables integration: the app connects with smartwatches and wearables from companies like Apple and Garmin.
The central hub of the app also provides health insights and tips, covering topics from fitness to sleep, guiding users towards proactive health management and illness prevention.
WPA says these options help employers address issues like absenteeism by promoting better physical and mental health in the workplace. This also should help improve recruitment and retention rates.
Recent statistics from the Resolution Foundation indicate that individuals in their 20s are more likely to be absent from work due to mental health problems than those over 40. Concurrently, data from the Office of National Statistics reveals that sickness absence in the UK is at a 10-year high.
Furthermore, WPA Digital Health enables the integration cash benefits, including optical, dental, and audiology, which can be claimed directly within the app.
For employers, the app serves 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.
Mark Southern, WPA’s sales and marketing director 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.”
He 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.”
