Work stops men from seeing GP, experts say

MEN should be given time off by employers to attend GP appointments, MPs have heard.

Experts claimed males were less likely than women to seek help for health issues, with work one reason why they held back.

MartinTod, chief executive of the Men’s Health Forum, told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee that people in white-collar jobs generally find it easier to access healthcare than those in more manual jobs, but said all men were at a disadvantage.

He said: “Work is a particular factor in that men go to the doctor less than women, and they go to the GP less than women until the day they retire. If you look at the rate of which men and women say they go to the GP after retirement, there’s almost no difference between men and women. The difference is all in working age.”

He explained one of the reasons could be because men were more likely to be in full-time work than women, which makes it harder to attend appointments.

Mr Tod added some jobs were “unforgiving for taking time out of work”, and said: “If somebody is working as a subcontractor on a building site, if they don’t work, they don’t get paid.There are actual consequences for taking time off work.”

Mark Brooks, from the Men and Boys Coalition, told MPs there was a need for “man vans” to bring health systems closer to males and make employers realise men needed time off work to attend appointments.

He said research had shown 61% of men felt there were barriers to accessing GPs, with long waiting times the main reason.

He added: “Opening hours are not convenient due to work.”