Staff use work insurance for mental health support

A RECORD number of people have turned to work health insurance to get help for mental illness.

- BY LUCY JOHNSTON

Spending on mental health treatment through private cover has soared by more than 60% in three years.

Such claims now account for 13% of all insurance payouts, up from 8% in 2022. But musculoskeletal problems such as back pain continue to take the largest chunk of claims at almost 40%.

Experts say the surge in private healthcare claims exposes the “desperate state” of NHS services and a nation struggling with post-pandemic stress and anxiety. Consultants Broadstone used data from corporate healthcare cover - thousands of employees insured through employer-funded private medical schemes, rather than individual policies.