The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association (COHPA), with the latter to be merged into SOM.
The organisations said that working together will provide a greater collective voice for occupational health providers, which is now particularly important as more people than ever are off work due to ill health.
SOM and COHPA want to see every employee in the UK gain access to occupational health support.
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COHPA members will have their membership transferred to SOM, and will be invited to become its corporate supporters when their membership is due for renewal.
The monthly SOM commercial providers group will be renamed the SOM COHPA Commercial Providers Group and its chair, Dr Mike Goldsmith, will remain in situ.
They expect to host this year’s Occupational Health Awareness Week on 23-27 September, which will focus on the importance of working closely with occupational health providers to see a good return on investment.
Anna Jones, consultant to SOM and former COHPA association manager, said: “I am really excited for the whole occupational health and wellbeing industry about COHPA’s strategic alliance with SOM.
“A collective approach and voice will strengthen the industry’s ability to promote change, with the aim that all companies make employee health part of their core strategy and in turn OH [becomes] accessible to every single employee in the UK.”
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SOM chief executive Nick Pahl said: “SOM are really pleased that both commercial sector’s voice will be enhanced, and money will be saved with COHPA members not required to renew and transitioning to being SOM corporate supporters.”
