Private flu vaccinations save Doctorcall clients an average of £3,260 a year

Doctorcall, a private healthcare provider with a variety of bespoke services to both individuals and businesses, has today published figures highlighting the savings of their flu vaccination scheme for employers.

Analysis by Doctorcall, using feedback from clients and cross-referenced with available studies, shows that employers save over £65 per annum per employee.

According to ONS statistics, the average worker loses 5.7 workdays per year due to illness. According to the same dataset, minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, gastrointestinal issues and flu account for 29.3% of days lost due to illness. Flu accounts for an estimated 20% of minor illness, equating to over a third of a day lost per worker per year due to flu.

A day of employee absence costs an average of £522 in the private sector. The cost of flu-related absenteeism is therefore estimated at £174 per employee per year.  Flu vaccination has an efficacy of 40-60% for working age adults. At a rate of 50%, a workplace flu vaccination programme can save businesses £87 per employee per annum.

Using this calculation, a typical Doctorcall client who has 50 vaccinations should expect to save £4,350 a year from reduced absenteeism and sick days. Off-set against this the cost of an on-site vaccination programme, currently £1,090 for 50 staff and there is a direct saving of £3,260.

There are other significant productivity concerns companies face in addition to absence, “presenteeism” is estimated to cost the UK economy £25 billion a year from reduced productivity as workers are either ill or recovering. Additionally, the cost of absence does not take into account the additional costs of unplanned absence or multiple concurrent absences. Offering a free benefit becomes part of a package to boost goodwill and assist with recruitment and retention.

A client survey backs up these figures:  A Doctorcall client in the legal services industry, with 200 employees and an uptake of 55 vaccinations estimated that they saved roughly £3,500 in direct costs of staff sickness, during the 23-24 financial year and reported positive feedback from staff. A client in financial services who had 140 vaccinations estimates a direct saving of £9,000 in comparison to time lost to the flu in previous years and notes that in some years they have struggled with mass absence.

Dr. Charles Levinson, Doctorcall Founder and Medical Director said; “I am delighted this service offers such clear benefits for both employees and employers. Our flu vaccination programme is a great way for businesses to boost employee satisfaction, protect their staff from preventable healthcare issues, benefit from a reduction in their costs and play their part in reducing the pressure on the NHS.

A service that benefits the employee, employer and wider society.”