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Almost half of UK employers plan to expand workplace healthcare benefits this year, despite a significant gap between employer and employee perceptions of how easy existing services are to access, according to research from Healix Health.

The healthcare trust and corporate health services provider found that 49% of employers intend to expand their workplace healthcare benefits in 2026, while one in ten employees have not tried to use the benefits already available to them.

The findings, published in Healix Health’s Hidden Workplace Healthcare Gap Report, show that 91% of employers believe their healthcare benefits are easy for employees to access, compared with 69% of employees who said they had found them easy to use.

The disparity was greater at organisations employing between 2,000 and 6,000 people, where 90% of employers said benefits were easy to access, compared with 63% of employees.

Employers were also more positive about the ability of their healthcare provision to meet workforce needs.

Some 98% said they were confident employees could access timely healthcare when required, compared with 87% of employees, while 96% of employers said their benefits met employee needs, against 83% of employees.

The research also identified differences in perceptions of the barriers preventing employees from using workplace healthcare.

Confidentiality concerns were cited by 29% of employers as a major barrier to access, compared with 14% of employees.

Employees were more likely to report practical obstacles. Lack of available appointments, time-consuming processes and long waiting times were each cited by 19% of respondents.

Younger workers appeared to face greater difficulties accessing services. More than a quarter (26%) of employees aged 18 to 24 said they did not know how to access their workplace healthcare benefits, compared with 10% of employees aged over 55.

Just 6% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they had experienced no barriers to accessing benefits, compared with 29% of employees overall.

Among the same age group, 28% said waiting times were too long and 28% said appointments or support were unavailable when they needed them. This compared with 19% of employees overall for both measures.

Ian Talbot, CEO of Healix Health, said: ‘Employers are putting serious money into workplace healthcare, but if their people can’t access it or don’t even know it’s there, a lot of that money is effectively going to waste.

‘The worrying part is that our research suggests many employers think access is working better than their employees do. That means problems can go unnoticed and, when they do emerge, employers may not always be clear on what’s actually stopping people from using the support available.

‘With employers being asked to do more to keep people healthy and in work, and new best practice guidance on the way, the focus has to be on how a scheme actually works from an employee’s point of view, from how easy it is to book to how long it takes to be seen, rather than judging it on what’s been bought.’

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Optegra has appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon Darshak Patel to support cataract and vision correction patients across a number of its southern hospitals.

Patel, who has worked for the past four years at London Vision Clinic, will provide both NHS and private cataract surgery as well as advising and treating patients on the most suitable refractive options to restore their vision.

He will work at Optegra’s flagship Queen Anne Street hospital, as well as running clinics in Hounslow and Maidstone.

Patel trained in London and then completed two years of Fellowships in corneal transplant surgery at the Western Eye Hospital and Moorfields. At London Vision Clinic, he focused solely on cataract and refractive surgery as their lead lens surgeon.

‘At Optegra I am looking forward to both the larger teams, as I enjoy spending time with different people from varying backgrounds, and I am glad to be serving NHS patients again – it is so fulfilling, to restore patients’ sight as well as quality of life following cataract surgery. It is very rewarding to see the medical outcomes and consequent satisfaction and feedback from patients,’ he said.

Priory Group has appointed Jim Lee as chief financial officer.

Lee has held senior finance roles at Priory, which is part of Waterland Private Equity-backed MEDIAN Group, since joining the mental health provider in 2011. Initially appointed as group tax director, he has served as UK finance director since 2021.

Before joining Priory, he spent more than a decade at Deloitte, where he qualified as a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser. He specialised in corporate tax and transaction support, including work in the healthcare sector.

Commenting on his appointment, priory CEO Rebekah Cresswell said Lee would bring his deep understanding of the business to the role, alongside significant financial and operational expertise.

‘As we continue to navigate a challenging healthcare landscape and expand our Adult Care and Restore services, Jim’s leadership will be invaluable in helping us deliver our strategic priorities while maintaining a strong focus on quality, outcomes and long-term sustainability,’ she added.

Hill Dickinson has strengthened its independent healthcare team, as the law firm continues to grow its wider offer in the health and social care sector.

It has appointed partners Clare Auty and Carl May-Smith, both joining from Browne Jacobson.

Auty will work alongside existing corporate partner Monica Macheng to grow the independent health and social care practice. She acts on behalf of providers, funders, and investors, as well as manufacturers of medical devices and healthtech developers. She advises on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and commercial contracting for health and social care providers.

Before her 11 years at Browne Jacobson, where Auty was sector lead for independent health and social care, she spent more than 15 years in-house, including as general counsel at mental health services provider St Andrew’s Healthcare and head of legal services at beverage business Molson Coors.

May-Smith is a barrister specialising in regulatory and criminal law with a focus on the health and care sector. He advises on Care Quality Commission, Ofsted and General Optical Council standards, financial regulation, health and safety, and environmental law. He has worked with care providers, investors and public bodies requiring proactive regulatory litigation advice or specialist regulatory due diligence.

Before Browne Jacobson, where he spent almost 15 years, May-Smith was a senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service.

The pair will be based in Hill Dickinson’s Birmingham office. The wider firm has added almost 20 senior hires this year, with its partnership growing to more than 190 colleagues.

‘Clare and Carl are fantastic additions to the team, in what is an important demonstration of the strength and continued expansion of our health and social care capabilities nationally. Alongside our extensive support for the NHS, we continue to act on some of the most significant transactions in the independent healthcare space while helping clients to navigate regulatory hurdles and commercialise innovative new treatments and devices,’ said Andrew Craggs, head of health at Hill Dickinson.

‘Clare and Carl’s experience will only strengthen our growth ambitions as the independent sector continues to deliver on its clinical and commercial priorities.’

Health Partners Group has appointed former Octopus Money chief executive Ruth Handcock as CEO.

Handcock, who will take up the role on 2 November, succeeds Andrew Noble, who has served as CEO since co-founding the occupational health and treatment services provider a decade ago.

Noble will remain involved with the business as co-chairman, working with Handcock, the senior leadership team and board.

The appointment follows Health Partners’ integration of Medigold Health, which created a workplace healthcare business supporting more than six million employees across the UK and Ireland.

Handcock has a strong track record of building high-growth businesses. She is also a non-executive director at the British Business Bank and Seccl, part of Octopus Group, and was awarded an OBE in 2025 for services to financial services and investment.

Noble said: ‘Having co-founded Health Partners 10 years ago, I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Ruth to the senior leadership team.

‘She brings exactly the kind of thoughtful, ambitious leadership this business needs for its next chapter. We have grown from strength to strength, and this is a natural next step for the team and the business.’

Commenting on her appointment, Handcock said: ‘Health Partners is an extraordinary business, and has already had a huge impact, at scale. I was drawn to the opportunity to build on that foundation, by supporting even more employees with their healthcare needs at work.

‘There is an acute shortage of affordable healthcare support for both employers and employees, and good jobs and healthy workplaces have never mattered more to the UK economy.’

Health Partners provides occupational health and treatment services to employers across the UK and Ireland.

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Vitality has added a dedicated cancer nurse service to its health and protection insurance propositions through a partnership with Perci Health.

The agreement extends Vitality’s existing 12-week cancer support service. Under the deal, Perci will provide eligible members with access to a dedicated cancer nurse specialist for up to a year.

The service will be available to all VitalityHealth members through its Cancer Support Programme and will sit alongside its existing oncology pathway, which includes diagnostics, treatment and case management.

It will also be offered to some VitalityLife policyholders, including those making stage four cancer claims through Serious Illness Cover and terminal illness claims under Life Cover. Income Protection customers will be able to access the service on all claims through Vitality’s Recovery Pathway.

Perci Health, a virtual cancer clinic backed by Macmillan Cancer Support, will provide the nurse-led service alongside members’ existing medical care.

The nurses will provide information and support covering diagnosis and treatment, appointments, side effects and access to specialist services.

The service will also address non-clinical issues associated with cancer, including emotional and practical concerns and returning to work following treatment.

Vitality said the expansion reflected the longer-term support needs of people living with and beyond cancer.

Perci’s own data suggests people affected by cancer identify an average of 24 unmet needs across areas including physical symptoms, psychological wellbeing, relationships, practical matters and access to information.

VitalityHealth UK CEO Dr Arun Thiyagarajan said: ‘Cancer treatment has advanced significantly in recent years, which means that more people are living with and beyond cancer than ever before.

‘This is fantastic news, but it also means many more people are left navigating complex decisions about their care, managing the side effects of treatment, and dealing with the longer-term physical, practical and psychological impact cancer can have on their lives.’

Perci Health co-founder and CEO Kelly McCabe said the effects of cancer could continue for months or years after treatment.

‘With hundreds of cancer types and treatment combinations, each person’s experience is deeply personal, from fatigue, hormonal and digestive changes to anxiety, loss of income and disruption at home,’ she said.

‘Our expert clinical team has designed a truly personalised, evidence-based service to help people manage the full impact of cancer. Delivered over 12 months, it recognises that people’s needs change over time and provides ongoing specialist cancer nurse care to help them adjust to life during and beyond treatment.’

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