Trust’s occupational health department looks after workplace health requirements

Have you ever wondered who looks after the workplace health of the staff of your local borough council?  Probably not!

Have you ever wondered which might be the most experienced organisation to do so? Perhaps the National Health Service – which this year – 5 July - celebrates 60 years of looking after the health of the nation.

Dr Gill Britton, Consultant Occupational Health Physician at the Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust said: “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 Peter’s currently provides Occupational Health services to approximately 10,000 employees from the Acute Trust, NW locality of Surrey PCT, Elmbridge, Spelthorne and Runnymede Local Authority (Borough Councils), Hospices, Private Hospitals (Runnymede) and a number of small and medium size enterprises.”

Occupational Health is high on the agenda for the Department of Health.  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/

Dame Black’s paper was under discussion at the recent meeting of the South West Thames Occupational Health Group which was held at St Peter’s Hospital last month (May). This was organised by Dr Gill Britton and the Trust’s Occupational Health Manager Nadine Godfrey and Dr Samuel Thayalan Consultant Occupational Health Physician St Georges Hospital, Tooting.

Said Dr Britton: “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 topics 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.”

The Occupational Health Dept at ASPH is about to embark on the first national audits in the two areas of Occupational Health which are the most commons reasons for reported absence in the UK.

·          Occupational Health Management of lower back pain

·          Occupational Health Management of Depression

Said Dr Britton: “Our meeting gave us the opportunity to invite Dr Sian Williams Clinical Director of the Occupation Health Clinical Effectiveness Unit at the Department of Health as one of the key note speakers to give additional support at regional level for these audits on which we are embarking.”

Helen Arnold, Occupational Health Advisor for Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospital 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 Department of Work and Pensions as part of the Black Review. Her findings have also recently been published in the professional publication the Occupational Health Journal.