![]() We need better access to specialist healthcare services in a timely fashion so people can get help quickly and get back to work. There is no quick fix, sadly, but there is a lot that can be done to address the root causes behind some of the health conditions which are resulting in chronic work absences. People need to work and we need to do all we can to help support them back to work, not just for their health and wellbeing, but for their livelihoods and the nation. I’ve got young people who are either having to take time off work or have modified sick notes in order to continue working, leaning on pain medications whilst seeking working alternative solutions from their employers, or stuck on long wait lists for physiotherapy. However we have seen a wave of young people who have been presenting with the newly coined “tech neck” and chronic back pain due to repetitive strain and improper posture from self-made office spaces at home. Working from home has been hailed as a saving grace for many in terms of flexibility and productivity. In the meantime a sick note that started at two weeks off work with Covid has now stretched to almost two years not an uncommon occurrence as the number of people with Long Covid rises. There is a lot of support we can offer in primary care, but with these types of chronic health conditions we need more research and access to secondary care services, which are crumbling under the pressure of demand. ![]() ![]() Their mood is now very low, their zest for life dwindling, and constant aches and fatigue mean they can’t even imagine working again. This individual sadly hasn’t been able to go back to work since then due to long Covid, the effects of which have left them debilitated in every way. Just this week I spoke with a patient of mine, aged 32, who was working full-time and enjoying their job until they caught Covid 18 months ago. There is only so long people can sustain their energy at such high pressures before it catches up and they fall sick. As people have tried to keep pace with working and living through a pandemic, all while dealing with the rising cost of living, it has come at a cost to their health. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |