BT has extended its contract with Capita Health Solutions to provide outsourced occupational health (OH) services.

The extension, worth in the region of £13.5m over nine years until 2015, will provide OH services to more than 80,000 staff at the telecoms giant.

Following a joint process to redefine the service, the extension was awarded to deliver a new OH operating model, introducing telephone consultations.

The consultations aim to improve interaction with staff by enabling case referrals to be processed over the telephone where there is no requirement for a physical examination, removing the need for travel to and from OH centres.

The service will be provided through Capita’s OH service centre, supported by 16 clinics across the UK.

Dr Paul Litchfield, chief medical officer at BT, said: “We are constantly seeking to improve the services offered to BT and its people. Capita Health Solutions has been responsive to our needs and have worked with us to create a system that will provide us with quality OH advice in a timely and cost-effective manner.”

The original contract began in 2000 under BMI Health Services, which was then acquired by Capita in 2005.