BOHS welcomes new state OH service

The Fit for Work occupational health service will be run in England and Wales by the company Health Management Ltd and in Scotland by the Scottish Government. The voluntary scheme comprises two parts – an advice service, which went live on 15 December 2014, and an assessment element. The advice service will offer free work-related health information and guidance to employers, employees and GPs via a phone line and a website. In terms of the assessment service, employees who have been off sick or who are likely to be off sick for four weeks or more will be referred to an occupational health professional. The occupational health professional will identify obstacles preventing the employee from returning to work and produce a plan for the employee. Referrals will normally be made by GPs but employers may also be able to refer an employee, if after four weeks of absence, they have not been referred by their GP. Employees will need to consent to be referred to the service. The BOHS said service was a positive step. Mike Slater (pictured), president of BOHS, said: "We hope that the new state-funded programme will successfully plug some of the gaps in the provision of occupational health services in workplaces, augmenting the existing provisions which are already in place within British industry and commerce. "However, in considering the new advisory service and the importance of supporting workers who have been off sick in returning to work, we should never lose sight of the principle that prevention is better than cure. Preventing work-related disease from developing in the first place should be the top priority and this can be achieved by the practical application of the science of occupational hygiene."