As the profession changes to accommodate legislation and industry requirements, the relevant training options must change too. Nic Paton reports. The fit note, the possibility of a Fit for Work Service and/or an independent assessment service   More...
01 December 2012 12:44

In the season of holiday cheer, the Government's offerings for the medical profession aren't exactly designed to get us in the spirit of the times, says Dr Richard Preece. The Government announced two seasonal gifts this year for medicine and nursin  More...
30 November 2012 00:01

Despite the weight of research demonstrating the positive difference wellbeing can make, most organisations still do not fully realise the potential of a well workforce. Reluctant chief executives and other budget holders, as well as sceptical employees  More...
07 November 2012 08:02

As OH positions are cut in both the private and public sectors and the number of specialist trainee positions falls, the profession is facing a crisis of worrying proportions, Dr Richard Preece says. There is truly a crisis in OH nursing and occupat  More...
02 November 2012 09:00

A recent gathering in Wales brought together GPs and occupational health teams to discuss the impact of fitness-for-work statements on sickness absence at various organisations. Occupational health practitioners provide their feedback on the event.  More...
01 November 2012 09:00

Sitting in a chair for long periods of time can be damaging to your body. Exercise physiologist Alex Sheldon explains how occupational health can help to minimise the associated risks using a few simple exercises. Do humans need to physica  More...
01 November 2012 09:00

Private healthcare companies are developing consultancy services to ensure cost-effective solutions to workplace health issues. Through these consultancies, experts can support employers in deciding how to get the best value for money out of their inves  More...
01 November 2012 09:00

A new document from the Royal College of Nursing details the importance of wearing gloves in a healthcare environment. Diane Romano-Woodward examines what the guidance covers. "My trust's policy says I have to wear gloves when taking blood pressure.  More...
01 November 2012 09:00

Occupational health practitioners must make themselves aware of specific legislation that covers employee rights when dealing with patient data. Jonathan Exten-Wright explains. Occupational health advisers are required to keep a range of records i  More...
01 November 2012 09:00

Should employers support employee health beyond simply managing absence? Welfare reform and the sickness absence review have placed employers right in the centre of managing absence. What impact can health benefits have on this, asks Emma Page? Acco  More...
08 October 2012 09:38

Government assessments of people's fitness to work have revealed what occupational health practitioners have known for a long time: a minority of individuals that are on sickness leave are only pretending to be ill. Jane Fairburn looks at how occupation  More...
01 October 2012 09:00

Occupational health specialists Pippa Stanford and Anne Harriss outline a case study that considers the impact of a lumbar disc prolapse on a professional horse rider in relation to his fitness to work. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including b  More...
01 October 2012 09:00

Health interventions are essential to minimise the risks to employees in the workplace. Siân Edwards outlines the importance of manual handling training and how an effective programme can help to promote and improve health at work. If workplace healt  More...
01 October 2012 09:00

Stress and heart disease in female workers High job strain and "active jobs", but not job insecurity, are related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among women, ­according to an analysis of 22,086 participants in the Women's H  More...
01 October 2012 09:00

Nearly three-quarters of staff who are absent from work require adjustments to their workplace to return to employment successfully, an analysis of government statistics has concluded. Insurer Legal & General crunched statistics from the Departme  More...
28 September 2012 12:23

The symptoms of some of the most common skin diseases could be alleviated through psychological interventions, according to the latest medical research. A study by psychologists at the University of Sheffield and published in the British Journa  More...
28 September 2012 09:00

Charity Allergy UK has estimated that nearly 5.7 million employees in the UK could be allergic to their workplace. Research among office workers, primarily those already with allergies, found that 95% had experienced nasal problems, eye conditio  More...
27 September 2012 16:23

Risk of side effects is barrier to flu vaccination The most common reasons given for declining an influenza vaccine are fears about its side effects, a belief that the flu is not severe and concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccination, accord  More...
05 September 2012 14:07

The NHS's new web-based occupational health clinical governance system is to be offered free to all OH teams, whether inside or outside the NHS. The Management of Health at Work Knowledge (MoHaWK) system, launched in April 2012, was predominantly int  More...
05 September 2012 10:42

Investment in proper and effective occupational health measures could save employers thousands of pounds every year, an analysis of the lessons learned from the construction of the Olympic Park and Athletes' Village has argued. A study by the Instit  More...
03 September 2012 10:49