We believe a problem-led approach, ie offering a menu of therapies and services, rather than taking a holistic solution-led approach, risks letting people down.

As health and wellbeing is given more focus, there has been a wealth of support developed, from apps and platforms to GPs and therapies. However, this can lead to a tendency to see providing health and wellbeing support as a self-select exercise for mental and physical health, and in practice, this has a number of drawbacks. When someone is properly assessed and then provided with the most appropriate support, it can lead to better health outcomes.

Drawbacks of a problem-led approach

Faced with a menu of options, people need to know what would be beneficial for them and then self-navigate the range of available options, none of which may be right for their specific needs. This can mean that they do not get the most appropriate treatment and therefore their recovery is delayed. For instance, if someone has anxiety they may opt for a course of counselling if this is offered, but hypno-counselling might be more appropriate, which would be recognised if that person had been professionally assessed.

When people are properly assessed by a medically trained professional, and their diagnosis understood, the most appropriate support for them can be provided. In our experience, this saves time in the long run and leads to better outcomes for the individual. Consumer Duty focuses on assessing a client’s needs and focusing on delivering good outcomes, so we predict an increase in a holistic solution-led approach to health and wellbeing.

Holistic solution-led approach

A holistic solution-led approach to health and wellbeing entails a clinically trained case-manager assessing needs, providing personalised support, tailored therapies and services, monitoring progress and continually re-assessing needs. It treats the whole person, both physically and mentally. It also mitigates the risks of self-navigating, where people may choose support that is not best suited to them.

The health and wellbeing support that’s now available for people is great: from physio and sleep apps, to access to counselling, but it’s important to remember that in many instances people benefit from a professional assessment first, and then receiving support that’s most appropriate for them. Furthermore, needs can change over time, and support needs to change with them.