Mental health problems are one of the leading causes of sickness in the workplace, with new research showing a fifth of employees have taken time off work for mental health problems in the past year.
Simplyhealth is now offering Spectrum.Life’s latest Digital Mental Health solution to its 2.5 million UK customers, including thousands of businesses and their workforces.
Responding to a surge in popularity for digital mental health support, the offer enhances Simplyhealth’s EAP proposition by providing 24/7 access via mediums including WhatsApp, video and mobile app.
Simplyhealth, the leading Health Plan provider, has teamed up with Spectrum.Life to offer its customers their new Digital Mental Health service to address the current mental health crisis facing the nation. All Simplyhealth customers will have access as part of their Health Plan.
Spectrum.Life’s offering includes a fully digital mental health support experience where members can assess their mental health need, select the counsellor they want to see, and access brief intervention counselling or short-term counselling as appropriate. Users receive personalised, clinician-matched support, allowing them to choose a counsellor based on personal preferences such as availability, gender, age and expertise. Users can book appointments directly through the platform and manage schedules. For members who want immediate support they can access 24/7 brief intervention counselling without delays. By focusing on continuous mental health support, the service encourages early engagement to prevent issues from escalating, reducing absenteeism and boosting workplace performance. The platform ensures the highest standards of confidentiality and clinical governance, safeguarding privacy and maintaining strict clinical oversight in every interaction.
The innovative Digital Mental Health solution uses a network of 2350+ fully accredited, highly qualified Counsellors and Psychotherapists. It will be accessible to Simplyhealth’s 2.5 million customers, including thousands of businesses which can use the solution to help them support their staff’s mental health, one of the leading causes of sickness absence.
This collaboration represents a pivotal advancement in expanding access to mental healthcare across the UK. With nearly 1 in 4 UK workers impacted by stress, anxiety, or depression - resulting in decreased productivity, absenteeism, and burnout - Simplyhealth is on a mission to help reverse the workforce sickness epidemic and support working Brits back to health.
Research from Simplyhealth showed that a fifth of employees (21%) took time off for mental health problems in the past year1, with an average of 5.8 days for the condition, making it the most common reason for sick leave.
Employers are noticing this too, with a third (33%) reporting rising mental health days as one of the biggest problems their business is facing, with over 2.8 million people off work on long-term sick and economically inactive according to the Office of National Statistics. The positive news is employers want to tackle this, with the vast majority of employers (79%) agreeing it is their responsibility to support mental health beyond the workplace.
NHS waiting lists currently have a target of 18 weeks to see a patient, leaving many waiting for months without support. Simplyhealth and Spectrum.Life’s new Digital Mental Health Solution has been designed to respond to a surge in demand from users looking for quick access to mental health support, 24/7, on digital channels that fit in with their lives.
Within a year period, Spectrum.Life saw video counselling consultations increase by over 55%, 2 WhatsApp usage surge by 36.38%,3 and live chat contacts rise by 24.5%4
Users can use platforms like WhatsApp for low-level queries, streamlining the process when they begin their appointments with clinicians. Digital options like video also enhance accessibility for those uncomfortable with in-person visits, constrained by geographical barriers or who prefer the convenience afforded by video consultations.
Getting early access to mental health support via these digital methods can prevent conditions from worsening and reduce the need for more intensive treatments in the future.
Simplyhealth’s Director of Product, Tina Kennedy, said: “When someone needs support with their mental health, it simply isn’t good for their health for them to wait months to be seen. We are passionate about reducing barriers for our members looking to make that critical first step in accessing care, and we believe that digital-first healthcare solutions - that allow quick access and fit in with their lives - will provide this for our millions of customers. We are impressed by Spectrum.Life’s Digital Mental Health solution; whose high quality of clinical care, combined with its innovative technology, allows greater access via multiple platforms. By joining forces, we are working towards our purpose of improving access to healthcare for all, and also supporting businesses to keep their staff healthy and in work, reducing the current workforce sickness epidemic facing the nation.”
Spectrum.Life’s CEO and Co-founder, Stephen Costello, said: “We are a 2nd Generation digital health provider, and we firmly believe that Spectrum.Life's blend of clinical acumen and successful track record in scaling digital technologies presents a genuine opportunity to revolutionise healthcare. Our goal is to elevate patient satisfaction and outcomes, within a commercially sustainable model that actively contributes to healthcare transformation and, critically, accessibility. Partnering with Simplyhealth represents a significant milestone for us. Together we are committed to revolutionising employee mental health and wellbeing, offering comprehensive and innovative solutions that allow individuals to take care of their own health and wellbeing when they need it.”
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Steven Pearson
07740432889
Nicole Jung-Murphy
+353 86 8854119
Notes to Editors:
About Spectrum.Life
Spectrum.Life is a whole-of-health digital partner that guides organisations and their people to thrive, delivering clinically backed digital health, mental health and wellbeing solutions. Our HealthTech delivers digital transformation for Insurers, Educators and Employers through Co-creation or seamlessly integrated out-of-the-box solutions, that decrease digital fragmentation and engage, empower, and transform their people’s lives.
Established in 2018 by Stuart McGoldrick and Stephen Costello, Spectrum.Life provides services internationally to over 7.5m insurance members, 3,000 corporate clients, 60+ universities and 650,000 university students. Spectrum.Life currently employs over 300 people, including over 160 clinicians. With its recent investment of EUR 17M, Spectrum.Life plans to facilitate the recruitment of over 100 new hires over the next 18 months and accelerate its growth trajectory in international markets.
To find out more, visit www.spectrum.life.
About Simplyhealth:
Simplyhealth is a leading healthcare company, committed to helping everybody access affordable everyday healthcare services. Our new generation of low-cost health plans and dental plans, including the market leading Denplan, look after over two million customers by helping them find, treat and fund their healthcare. We work with thousands of businesses and partners, connecting people to the best-in-class healthcare providers. We aim to support and protect the NHS through the provision of easily accessible healthcare to help people live their best lives.
We don’t have shareholders and since 1872 we’ve been led by our purpose of improving access to healthcare, for all in the UK. We are changing the game, investing millions into new businesses to accelerate the development of predictive and preventative healthcare services.
We understand our health depends on the health of our communities and our planet. Each year we commit to giving a minimum of £1million to a range of health-related charities and community causes. In 2022 we became the first Health Insurer to be awarded B Corp status, in recognition of our high environmental and social ambitions and continued positive impacts in using our business as a force for good.
To find out more, visit www.denplan.co.uk and www.simplyhealth.co.uk.
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