A recent survey, conducted by at-home health test company Omnos, also found factors such as the lack of convenient appointment slots and time are more likely to prevent women from visiting their local doctor than men.
Hannah Norris, a registered nutritionist and Head of Partnerships at Omnos, says managers at UK firms should keep in mind these challenges.
She said: “We know it can be hard for people to find the time to do everything, but health should be a priority.
“Our research has found women are less likely to see a GP because they feel they don’t have enough time and the appointments on offer do not fit around their busy schedules.
“If people don’t feel well both their physical and mental wellbeing will suffer. On top of this, they won’t be able to perform at work.
“It is in the interests of employers to ensure their staff feel supported and confident to put their health first.”
The research, carried out by Censuswide, surveyed 2,000 UK consumers to find out their views on health and wellbeing, and at-home testing.
More than three quarters of women (77%) admitted they have put off or avoided seeing a GP, compared to 62% of men.
A lack of convenient appointments is the most common reason amongst women for failing to see a doctor (26%). A further 15% said they did not have enough time.
A quarter of women said they did not want to put added pressure on the NHS, compared to 15% of men.
The research also revealed a disparity in age groups, with almost nine out of 10 (87%) of 25 to 34 year olds saying they avoided or put off seeing their GP, compared to around half (51%) of those aged over 55.
Hannah continued: “Promoting workplace wellness should be at the top of the agenda for all managers.”
Meanwhile, the survey found 22% of people preferred to solve minor issues themselves, while 10% said they were embarrassed to talk to a doctor.
The anticipation of being ‘told off’ or advised to change lifestyle habits was enough to dissuade one in 10 from seeing their local doctor.
Hannah added: “The NHS is under intense pressure at the moment and it’s only natural that people are looking at the best ways to look after themselves.
“At Omnos our goal is to shift the focus of health and wellness from treating symptoms to a preventative model centred around the individual.
“We are seeing a growing number of people showing an interest in preventative care and looking more towards at-home health tests.
“At Omnos we provide access to at-home testing alongside results recommendations so users can get a fuller picture of their overall wellness.
“Our lab partners are carefully chosen and we give users full control over their data at all times.”
Omnos specialises in providing an intelligent health system which uses at-home health tests to give users a fuller picture of their overall health.
Based on their results, users will get personalised recommendations to help optimise their wellness.
The company recently secured deals with some of the UK’s biggest employee benefits companies to offer its kits to staff.
