How do you spend your holiday? It looks like a lot of us use it to go to the doctor’s.

Nearly two-thirds of working Londoners use annual leave to attend routine health appointments, according to a survey.

And more than half said they regularly cancel or re-schedule health appointments because of work commitments.

The summertime survey comes from Bupa UK, which has just opened a £3million ‘superclinic’ to support workers in Canary Wharf. Services in the building include GPs, physiotherapists, dentists and travel vaccinations.

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It is open to everyone from 7am to 8pm and all day Saturday.

Its poll also found 28 per cent of people have waited at least four weeks before having time to book an appointment for a health issue.

Other findings included:

  • More than half (54%) avoid booking health appointments when they have a health issue, because they can’t find can’t time during the working day.
  • Nearly half (44%) say that a health complaint has worsened because they have been unable to attend an appointment, resulting in them taking a sick day.
  • Nearly two-fifths (39%) of Londoners admitted being able to attend health appointments would increase their job satisfaction and over a third (38%) said it would boost their productivity.
  •  Just over a third (34%) admitted that clinics with longer than normal opening hours were the biggest help when booking health appointments.

Manager at Bupa’s new centre, Lee Martin said: “We know that people struggle to fit their health and wellbeing needs into their busy working lives.

“This means some aren’t addressing health issues promptly and others are having to use precious holiday time just to get a routine appointment.

“Alongside our jobs, it is crucial people don’t neglect their health as this may lead to time out of the office in the long run.”

Click here for more information about the clinic