Demand for PMI continues to grow

Fiona Harris, head of personal markets of Bupa UK Health Insurance, said: "The latest figures from Laing & Buisson reveal the PMI market to be in robust health and certainly reflect our own experience of increasing demand. Throughout 2007 we saw good overall growth in both corporate and individual PMI and the market's sustained confidence has continued into this year, bucking the trend of the credit crunch. In particular, individual sales have picked up and in the first few months of 2008 - we saw a 20 percent increase on the same period last year.

"There are of course challenges ahead. We currently look after the health and wellbeing of working employees in nearly nine out of 10 FTSE 100 companies. Increased investment and encouraging employers to take more responsibility for their employees' needs in these areas is central to the future. Although there has been a raft of Government initiatives, feedback we have received suggests that the current tax treatment of workplace health benefits is an obstacle. Remove it - and companies will have a real incentive to play their part in keeping Britain healthy."