It is regional meeting that takes place approximately twice a year to discuss current Occupational Health issues and to invite guest speakers to lecture on topic specific to the field of Occupational health. The forums are supported by the Faculty of Occupational Health and NHS Plus as a way of sharing good practice, audit policy development and general debating of topical issues. This meeting also gives the opportunity for physicians and nurse to meet and work together.

Dwayne Gillane – Occupational Health Advisor for the Trust presented his MSc finding relating the Management of Inoculation Injuries of this organisation and highlighted the collaborative working that has taken place since his study was completed, including producing a revised Policy on the Management of Inoculation Injuries, training of staff in A&E and Walk in Centres, changes to the risk assessment process, consenting of patients and reviewing the use of safety needle devices in the Trust.

The Occupational Health Dept at ASPH is about to embark on the first national audits in two areas of Occupational Health.

·          Occupational Health Management of lower back pain

·          Occupational Health Management of Depression

The meeting on the 16.05.2008 gave us the opportunity to invite Dr Sian Williams Clinical director of the Occupation Health Clinical Effectiveness Unit as one of the key note speakers to give additional support at regional level for these audits which we are embarking on, writes Dr Gill Britton.

As ASPH borders the outer fringes of London as well as the South East Coast Health Authority, we are in a unique position to work collaboratively with Occupational Health Providers in these areas. Occupational Health at Ashford and St Peters currently provides OH services to approx 10,000 employees from the Acute Trust, NW locality of Surrey PCT, Elmbridge, Spelthorne and Runnymede Local Authority (Borough Councils), Hospices, Private Hospitals (Runnymede) Housing Associations and a number of small and medium size enterprises (SME).

Dame Carol Black appointed National Director for Health and Work has recently written a major document ‘Working for a Healthier Tomorrow’ which could have major implications for Occupational Health Services. Under the new plans, Occupational Health would be drawn into mainstream health care and its academic base and profile bolstered. General Practitioners would be able to refer patients who have been signed off sick to a ‘Fit for Work’ multidisciplinary team under radical new plans designed to overhaul attitudes to Occupational Health and reverse Britain’s ‘sick note culture’, to reduce the estimated annual 175 million working days lost to illness in the UK. The proposals call for sick note certification to become electronic and to shift to a ‘fit note’ focusing on what patients are capable of doing, to help people enter, stay or return to work. These are controversial plans. The document is currently with the Secretary of State for Work and Pension for a review of the findings, the recommendations are awaited. http://www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/Carol-Blacks-Review/

Helen Arnold, Occupational Health Advisor for the Trust was asked to submit her MSc research on Improving the Health of Older Workers: A review of current Occupational Health Provision within the NHS, to the DWP as part of the Black review. Her findings have also recently been published in the Occupational Health Journal February 2008.