Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

CoronavirusMental health conditionsHealth and safetyOH service deliveryMusculoskeletal disorders

Coronavirus: NHS ‘urgently’ working to ramp up occupational health provision

by Nic Paton 30 Apr 2020
by Nic Paton 30 Apr 2020

The NHS is “urgently” working to put in place extra occupational health provision for NHS workers during the coronavirus crisis, a health minister has said.

In a letter to Dr Will Ponsonby, president of the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM), health minister Jo Churchill said the pandemic had meant publication of the NHS People Plan, which was due to outline measures to speed up access to OH for NHS staff, will now be delayed until the autumn.

However, she added: “Although publication of the final NHS People Plan has been delayed, the health and wellbeing of our NHS staff cannot wait. That is why we have commissioned the NHS to urgently put in place a package of support for NHS staff during this time. This package will involve accelerating development of some elements of the People Plan, such as occupational health provision.”

To that end, NHS England and NHS Improvement were now working to appoint a number of SEQOHS-accredited occupational health providers with the capacity to provide services for a national contract, Churchill said. NHS trusts will be able to buy in existing OH support from these providers on an ad-hoc basis.

The extra services will include access to a supply of temporary occupational health staff and fast-track health clearance for returning NHS workers and volunteers, she added.

On top of this, there will be access to OH physicians, OH adviser management referrals, a Covid-19 helpline, and a range of wellbeing services, including counselling, coaching and musculoskeletal and physiotherapy support.

Churchill wrote: “We are working around the clock to give the NHS and social care sector the equipment and support they need. The full weight of the government is behind this effort, we are working closely with industry, the NHS, social care providers and the army to ensure the right equipment continues to be delivered to the right setting.”

Access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the health and safety of NHS workers has been a major issue during the crisis, and a key political pressure point for the government, even with the publication of a PPE plan earlier this month.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The mental health and wellbeing of under-pressure NHS workers has also been in the spotlight, with a recent survey by the think-tank The Institute for Public Policy Research concluding that half of health professionals battling the coronavirus had felt their mental health had deteriorated, with younger staff especially likely to be feeling “overwhelmed”.

Separately, SOM is conducting a survey to try to better understand the impact of Covid-19 on occupational health, and OH practitioners are being encouraged to take part. The survey can be found here and will be repeated after the lockdown has ended to assess how things may have changed, SOM has said.

Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consultant editor at Personnel Today. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for Personnel Today and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
My journey back into the NHS during Covid-19
next post
Academic calls for independent inquiry into coronavirus safety failings

1 comment

rebecca rees 1 May 2020 - 1:07 pm

I am an NHS employed registered nurse and health visitor ; I am also a STAT registered teacher of the Alexander Technique; there is a big role the Alexander Technique could be playing in the management of musculo-skeletal problems for all NHS staff ; bringing it into mainstream care of NHS staff could save the NHS a firtune; why is it not being used ?

Comments are closed.

You may also like

Supporting employees through substance abuse

24 Jun 2025

How employers can support cancer carers better

11 Jun 2025

Two-thirds of workers still struggling to access GPs...

10 Jun 2025

Half with MS have left a job because...

3 Jun 2025

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today