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Administration - setting up your health assessment account

How do I set up my business health assessment account? Hide

It is easy to set up an account with us for your employees. All you need to do is give us a call on 0845 600 3476. The call will last approximately 30 minutes and you will need to have the following information to hand:

• full name and postal address of the company
• full name of the point of contact for invoicing
• telephone, fax number and email address for the main client contact
• confirmation of the health assessment type
• frequency of attendance (ie annually, biannually)
• including any eligibility criteria (ie age, gender, status*)
• *status applies where employees at different levels are offered different assessments ie directors are offered the Premier, whilst all other staff are offer the Classic.
• confirmation of whether the company will pay for additional tests or not. A value/ceiling limit on individual tests can be applied to the account on an individual level. (eg additional blood tests at the recommendation of the doctor up to the value of £50)
• confirmation of whether the company requires any report on individuals who attend, subject to signed individual consent on the day of attendance
• confirmation of whether cancellation and rescheduling fees are payable by the company or the employee
• details of who the invoice is to be addressed to and address details if different to the account contact
• whether the company is to be invoiced per-assessment (usual practice) or on a monthly basis (for companies spending over £50K)

Can employers and employees share the cost of the assessments? Hide

Yes. The costs of health assessments can be shared with employees. You can offer a value/ceiling limit to each employee, providing them with the option to have additional tests which they can cover themselves.

What happens if I need to change my appointment? Hide

If you should need to change or cancel your appointment, we can do this for a fee of £15, providing you call us a least three clear working days before your appointment. A £75 fee will be charged if you give us less notice than three clear working days. If you cancel or fail to attend on the day you will be charged the full price of your assessment.

Can I choose different assessments for different employees? Hide

Yes. We offer flexible accounts so that you can offer the most suitable health assessments to employees at every level of your organisation.

How do I choose the right assessment for my employees? Hide

We provide a wide range of health assessments and can help you choose the best option for your employees. Each assessment has the same aim - the early detection and prevention of illness. To help you choose the best assessments for your employees give us a call on 0845 600 3476.

Will I see the outcomes of the assessments? Hide

Medical information about your employees health is confidential but if 50 or more employees of each gender attend a health assessment we can provide you with a company health profile. This gives information about the health and fitness of your employees and can help you make changes in the workplace that might enhance employee health and performance.

How are my employees invited for their health assessment? Hide

To make everything as easy as possible for you, we can take care of the administration on your behalf.

We aim to ensure the advantages of health assessments are clearly communicated to your staff, so that your company enjoys the full benefit of a health-aware workforce. Using efficient and effective ways to manage your staff data, we can contact your people to make appointments via email, telephone or letter according to your preference.

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General questions about health assessments

How do you ensure that sensitive personal identifiable information is handled securely and confidentially? Hide

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, Bupa is the data controller, and not the data processor, with respect to the processing of personal data of its members, including those who are members by virtue of belonging to a corporate or company scheme. Therefore, the confidentiality and security obligations are imposed directly on Bupa by the Data Protection Act 1998.

At Bupa, we take the confidentiality of patient and member information extremely seriously and we fully comply with Medical Confidentiality Guidelines, ABI Codes of Practice, Data Protection Legislation and other relevant legislation and regulation. It is Bupa’s policy to comply with all legal and regulatory requirements that apply to the way we run our business.

Bupa’s confidentiality policy and guidelines apply to everybody who works at Bupa, whether temporary or permanent. Confidentiality is a key aspect within induction training and is the subject of continuing awareness training. Compliance is actively monitored. Non compliance with the policy and guidelines may result in disciplinary action being taken.

As an integrated healthcare company, Bupa maintains patient, member, customer and other information, which must be protected for ethical, legal, regulatory and commercial reasons. Such personal data is processed only in accordance with Bupa’s Data Protection Registration and as indicated in the Bupa Data Protection Notice. Furthermore, Bupa has taken the appropriate technical and organisational measures against unauthorised or unlawful processing of this data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, this data.

The Bupa Group IS security policies, rules, standards and guidelines at all levels incorporate the International Information Security Management Standard ISO/IEC 27001:2005 (formally British Standard BS 7799: Part 2) which is based on national and international legal requirements and considerations.

Bupa holds a Certificate of Registration to the International Information Security Management Standard ISO/IEC 27001:2005 in respect to its Computer Centre. Certificate number: IS 517128. This Certification, issued by the British Standards Institute (which is continuously independently monitored by BSI every six months) can be independently verified and validated at www.bsi-global.com/ClientDirectory.

Bupa Wellness has been awarded ISO 9001:200 certification, certificate number GB01/53883. The accreditation body used for the inspection is called SGS. Bupa Wellness has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 for the whole of the business. The certification is continually independently monitored by SGS every six months through a series of site visits and process audits.

Bupa Wellness is also in the process of implementing the Information Governance toolkit. The Bupa IG Toolkit is a valid customisation of the NHS IG Toolkit. The Information Governance Toolkit measures compliance against a range of current legislation, requirements and best practice in the handling of patient identified information in line with the relevant International Organisation for Standardisation (IOS) standard, ISO 17799.

What benefits do health assessments offer my business? Hide

Individuals in good health status are on average 20 percent more effective than those in poor health, and about 30 percent of employees could be described as being in poor health, suffering, for example. from stress, lack of sleep, low fitness levels and bad diet.

Many employees may not take time from work to see their GP for what they perceive to be trivial problems. Sometimes these trivial problems may not be so trivial, and may be interfering with work efficiency, and sometimes they may represent a serious illness. Our health assessments allow time for your employees to discuss health concerns that may be on their minds, and also allow an assessment of future health risks and how best to minimise them. A personal report and plan is produced for each individual.

Bupa health assessments help detect health problems in good time for your employees to take corrective action.

By giving individuals specific information about the health risks that affect them personally, you give them a powerful incentive to take positive action - either to seek treatment or to make changes to the way they live.

Do health assessments help with recruitment and retention? Hide

Monitoring the health of your staff on a regular basis also demonstrates your commitment to your people and this makes it easier to recruit, retain and motivate your staff.

Why do my employees need a health assessment? Hide

While eating healthily and taking regular exercise can reduce the risk of disease, it cannot guarantee that there are no underlying health problems. A health assessment is an excellent way for your employees to have a clear picture of their current health and wellbeing, and helps to identify areas of risk in the future.

With a wide range of medical tests, plenty of time with a doctor and a detailed personal health report, a Bupa health assessment will provide your employees with the confidence to get on with their lives, knowing they are as well as they can be.

The results of most tests are available on the day for discussion with a Bupa doctor. The doctor consultation also allows plenty of time to talk about any specific health concerns there might be. If we should detect a problem, we can recommend the immediate action that can be taken.

Many people have conditions like high blood pressure or raised cholesterol without realising it. If detected early, they can be easily managed before more serious problems develop. Even heart disease, cancer and diabetes can be treated more successfully if they're caught early.

Will having a health assessment affect private medical insurance? Hide

No. If your employees already have private medical insurance - dependant on their level of cover - it may be used for any treatment or further investigation of problems detected during the assessment. Results and personal details are not disclosed to any other part of Bupa or third party without consent. Bupa Wellness retains all medical records.

What if an employee has an existing condition? Hide

Our doctors are all experienced practitioners and if your employees have health concerns they will be encouraged to discuss these with the Bupa doctor. However a health assessment is not suited to people seeking a specialist medical opinion about an existing condition.

How does Bupa choose which tests to include in its health assessments? Hide

We include in our health assessments test that are proven to be of benefit. We do not do tests that just look good and don’t have recognition by medical professionals as being useful.

What will the experience be like? Hide

Bupa health assessments are carried out in a relaxed atmosphere. We will try our best to put your staff at ease and make the experience as enjoyable as possible. In our customer satisfaction survey 80 percent of customers rate their health assessment as very good or excellent and 96 percent say they feel more reassured about their health following their assessment.

How does Bupa ensure the assessment is personalised to an individual employee's needs? Hide

Through an extensive questionnaire, a wide range of tests and a lengthy consultation with a doctor we are able to provide a full picture of an individual’s health and advice that is individually tailored based on the wide range of information we gather.

How does this differ from the NHS? Hide

• Generally, people only see their GP for treatment when they are unwell. Bupa Wellness staff are specially trained in looking after the needs of well people and our doctors offer plenty of time in a relaxed environment to discuss general health and wellbeing.
• We look for abnormalities in your in test results that may indicate a risk of future illness.
• Your employees are able to discuss the majority of their test results with the Bupa doctor during the health assessment. At the end of the assessment they will receive a fully personalised report and action plan to keep them in the best possible health for the future.
• Bupa has been offering health assessments since 1969 and has made major contributions to the growth and development of activities such as coronary risk factor assessment and breast screening. The service has evolved over the years. We believe we have the greatest expertise in the health assessment field, and take pride in ensuring all our staff undergo proper training to ensure your health assessment is as thorough as possible.
• The NHS offers mammograms to women aged 50-plus, Bupa Wellness offer it to women over 40.
• The NHS offers a limited amount of screening, but usually only one or two tests at a time. We perform up to 40 tests. If you were to pay for the same tests separately, the price would be considerably higher.

How many assessments does Bupa Wellness carry out each year? Hide

Bupa was the first to create the concept of health assessments in 1969. With our excellent resources and a wealth of experience in health care we have maintained our position as market leader and carry out over 100,000 assessments every year.

How many centres do you have? Hide

We have 47 health assessment centres conveniently located throughout the country. This means that wherever your staff are located they shouldn’t have to travel far.

Can you provide health assessments on my premises? Hide

Our assessments are available nationwide from a network of over 40 locations, including our state-of-the-art Bupa Wellness Centres which provide a mix of health care services under one roof, in a welcoming and relaxing environment.

View our locations

Most of our clients prefer to see us at our health assessment centres, with their extensive range of equipment and facilities. However, whatever the size and nature of your business, we will discuss your requirements and help you choose the easiest and most cost-effective delivery method, whether at our centres, on-site or on paper. If you have a large workforce we may be able to arrange health assessments at your premises.

As well as delivering health assessments, we can also offer many other health services on-site, such as doctors, dentists and physiotherapists. These are particularly effective in reducing your sickness costs when they work together, giving you a complete and integrated health care service.

Whatever your needs, we are confident we can help you find the solutions you need to enhance and protect the health of your people - and your business.

Statement of confidentiality Hide

The results of the assessment are confidential and will not be sent to anyone without your employee's agreement. With their agreement we will forward these to their GP. They will not be sent to their medical insurer, including anyone looking after Bupa membership if you are a member

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Specific questions about health assessment and what happens on the day

How long will the health assessment take? Hide

Generally between one and three hours depending on which health assessment is chosen. We can tell you when you book or you can view the health assessment range to find out.

What happens if something is discovered? Hide

With your employee's agreement, we will write to their doctor informing him or her of any significant findings . We may advise your employee to see their GP to follow up these results. We may be able to arrange for a referral to a specialist or ask your GP to do so. We would always recommend that the GP is kept informed.

How soon are the results available? Hide

Most results will be available on the same day as part of the personal health report, which on future visits, will identify trends and compare changes. Some tests such as pathology tests, mammograms, cervical smear and prostate tests will need to go to special laboratories. All the results should be available within two weeks of the appointment.

What happens if an employee discovers a problem after their assessment? Hide

As with most medical tests and services, it may not always be possible to detect all diseases and abnormalities. For this reason, it is important that if your employees have any new symptoms or concerns after their health assessment, they should seek medical advice as soon as possible.

What's involved in carrying out the assessment? Hide

Your employee will be greeted by a health adviser who will talk them through their assessment in detail. The health adviser will take a small amount of blood, collect urine samples and, depending on the assessment, carry out tests such as height, weight, hearing and vision. The cholesterol and glucose tests require fasting for 6 hours before the assessment. After these tests the health adviser will offer them a snack to eat before the doctors consultation. The doctor will have the results of most of the tests and the completed medical questionnaire. The doctor will offer advice and your employee will be given a personal health report and action plan to take away with them.

Some tests, such as cervical smears and prostrate tests, require the samples to be sent off to a laboratory for testing. The results of these tests will be sent to your employee within two weeks of their assessment.

If we do discover anything that needs further action, we’ll let them know what to do next and recommend relevant specialists if necessary.

What will the experience be like? Hide

Bupa health assessments are carried out in a relaxed atmosphere. We will try our best to put your employee at ease and make the experience as enjoyable as possible.

How do you ensure your customers receive a high quality service? Hide

We currently operate under the guidelines of the ISO9001:2000 quality management system. As part of this, we operate a stringent clinical standards policy with full internal audit of all procedures. All non-clinical staff also undergo regular appraisal through the Bupa Positive Performance Management process.

In our last audit, we received the following comments from the auditors, SGS Yardsley:

• "It is evident that a great deal of thought and commitment has been given to developing the system to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 and incorporate business and clinical needs"
• "All staff involved in the audit process demonstrated excellent knowledge and ownership of the key processes and the documented Quality Management System"
• "Excellent systems in place to monitor customer satisfaction"
• "Very well managed centre with adherence to system requirements evident"
• "Staff are proactive in problem solving and demonstrated contingency plans in place to enable patients to receive blood resulted on the day of assessment when the lab equipment is not functioning"
• "Excellent controls in evidence in all areas. Communication is particularly good"

Why do we do this?

We are committed to quality in all clinical areas.

I eat healthily, exercise and feel fine. Why do I need a health assessment? Hide

While eating healthily and taking regular exercise can reduce your risk of disease, it cannot guarantee that you don't have any underlying health problems. A health assessment is an excellent way to have a clear picture of your current health and wellbeing, and helps to identify areas of risk in the future. Many conditions can be present with no obvious symptoms. They can be more successfully treated when detected early - regular checks could save your life.

For one in three people who come to us, we discover health issues they didn't know about. At an early stage, even serious conditions such as heart disease and cancer can be successfully treated and related problems are less likely to develop later on.

What do your customers say about their health assessment? Hide

A recent survey showed that the vast majority of Bupa customers found a health assessment a very positive experience:

• Over 80 percent of our customers rate our health assessments as good or excellent
• 90 percent said they would have another health assessment
• 86 percent said that Bupa Wellness cared about them as an individual
• Over 70 percent say their assessment prompted them to make positive changes to their lifestyle
• Over 90 percent feel more reassured about their health following their health assessment
• For a third of our customers we identified a health issue which they were unaware

And here's a selection of some of the comments that our customers have made following their health assessment:

• "The consultation was tailored to my requirements and I felt there was plenty of time to discuss everything"
• "This was the third assessment received and each has been better than the previous. And although the assessment is carried out by a medical professional, it does not have the unsettling feeling of actually going to the doctors"
• "He put me immediately at ease, kept me relaxed and chatting through the tests, explained everything brilliantly as we went - he was very reassuring"
• "My PSA test showed a high level. I had no symptoms but I was later diagnosed with prostate cancer after a biopsy. The Bupa routine test may well have saved my life"
• "I was nervous when I arrived. I was immediately put at ease, I relaxed immediately and the assessment took place in a professional manner - and I received the peace of mind and advice I was looking for"
• "I've never been more relaxed and at ease in a hospital or doctor environment"
• "Everything was professional and all my questions were answered on the spot, which was reassuring. If I were to change job and this were not included in my package I would certainly pay for it myself"

What are my risks of something being discovered? Hide

For 38 percent of customers we identify a health issue they were unaware of. Some of these may seem trivial – perhaps a mildly raised blood pressure, but if this is found early simple changes to lifestyle may mean that this will not progress to needing treatment, which may have side effects, or result in a complication or complex issue.

The following statistics are also reasons why we advise a pro-active approach to your health:

• breast cancer accounts for nearly 30 percent of all cancers
• the lifetime risk of men developing prostate cancer is one in 14. Currently 9,500 men die each year in the UK from this disease
• bowel cancer claims the lives of more than 16,000 people every year in the UK, but it can be cured if caught early enough
• each year there are 3,200 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in women of all ages in the UK
• the most common form of cancer in men under 35 is testicular cancer, with cases increasing by 10 percent every five years
• one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives
• 80 percent of cancers could be avoided through changes in lifestyle and environment
• diabetes is estimated to affect one million people in the UK without their knowing
• heart disease causes 40 percent of deaths in the UK - the risks can be greatly reduced by lifestyle changes and early discovery
• if unchecked, high blood pressure can cause severe strain on you heart and other organs and may lead to heart disease
• every three minutes in the UK, more than one British adult dies from cardiovascular disease

Sources: Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation, NHS Direct and Diabetes UK

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Practical questions about our facilities and booking arrangements

What happens if an appointment needs to be changed? Hide

If an appointment should need to change or be cancelled, we can do this for a fee of £15, providing we are called at least three clear working days before the appointment. A £75 fee will be charged if we are given less notice than three clear working days. If your employee fails to attend on the day the full price of their assessment will be charged.

We can set up your account so that cancellation and reschedule fees are invoiced to the company or the employee as you wish.

What provision do you have for disabled customers? Hide

All customers are welcome to attend Bupa Wellness centres. Your employees should let us know of any disability at the time of booking so that special arrangements and/or an extended appointment can be made if necessary. For employees with restricted mobility we may need to give additional instructions regarding parking or access to the building. Employees with other difficulties such as communication problems should, where possible, arrange for a friend, relative or other assistant to accompany them. For example, this could include an interpreter or signer.

Bupa Wellness does not have specialised equipment such as hoists.

How do my employees book an appointment? Hide

We would prefer to talk to the actual person who will be attending the health assessment when making the booking. This is because we may need to establish some medical details in order to confirm the appropriateness of the assessment. We'll ask about things like high blood pressure and medication being taken. For women who want a cervical smear we'll need to ensure that the appointment does not coincide with their period.

We'll establish the right assessment and check the availability of a suitable appointment at a local centre. We'll then make the booking and take your company details to secure the booking.

Once they've booked their health assessment, we'll send an appointment pack containing information that they should read prior to their health assessment, along with a health questionnaire that will need to be completed before their appointment.

How do they prepare for the appointment? Hide

They'll be sent a health questionnaire that will need to be completed before the assessment. If for any reason the appointment pack doesn’t arrive in time your employees can access the checklist, questionnaire and other important information about their health assessment online.

Alternatively your employees should arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointment to allow time to complete the questionnaire.

Most assessments measure cholesterol and glucose levels. In order to ensure accurate readings, it is important that in the six hours preceding their assessment your employee consumes only water. If they are very hungry, they may have dry bread or toast.

If they are having a Bupa Premier Health Assessment, this involves a fitness test. For this they should bring something suitable to change into such as a Tshirt and shorts or tracksuit and trainers.

What questions will need to be answered? Hide

They'll need to answer questions about their medical history. Any information they can also provide about family medical history will help.

What to do if something goes wrong? Hide

We are always pleased to hear about aspects of our service that you have particularly appreciated. We also want to hear about any problems you have experienced, so that we can deal with them speedily and improve our service in the future.

If something goes wrong, here's a simple procedure to ensure that your concerns are dealt with quickly and effectively. If you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, we would like to address this straightaway. If possible therefore, please speak to a member of staff at the centre. All centres have a complaints handler who has had specific training. Or you may prefer to talk to the centre manager. You should also mention any concerns or complaints you might have raised with your account manager.

If we cannot satisfactorily resolve your concern there and then and you wish to make a complaint by telephone or in writing, please call or write to the centre manager. You'll find the address in the "Our locations" section of this website.

View the locations of our centres

We will aim to give you a written acknowledgement of your complaint within 24 hours of receipt. A full response will be made within 20 working days. All complaints are dealt with confidentially and impartially.

If required, your complaint will be referred to the regional manager and may be escalated to the managing director.

We keep a record of every complaint and look at how many we receive and the reasons. We use this information along with our customer surveys to help make sure we continually improve the service we provide.

This procedure does not affect your legal rights.

Bupa Wellness Head Office, Battle Bridge House, 300 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8DU.

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