Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • 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
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • 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
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Occupational Health

Vote for single occupational health body goes ahead despite resignations

by Nic Paton 12 Aug 2014
by Nic Paton 12 Aug 2014

Ballot papers were due to be sent out in August to members of the Society of Occupational Medicine and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine to vote on the creation of a single organisation for occupational health.

If agreed to, the vote, seen as a crunch moment in the ongoing moves by both organisations to develop a single, advocacy “voice” for occupational health, will pave the way for the creation of a new joint body from August next year.

Over the summer the society was rocked by a number of resignations in protest at the initiative, including that of its North West regional chairman Steve Forman.

This led immediate past president Dr Alastair Leckie to write to members to reassure them the creation of a single organisation was “to strengthen our common sense of purpose and create a single voice so that we can campaign and influence more effectively”.

There was, he added, “broad agreement regarding the direction of travel in terms of exploring the feasibility of a new single organisation, making the case for change and asking the membership to vote”.

Society president Dr Alasdair Emslie conceded to Occupational Health some members had been “understandably concerned that they might be losing something that they hold dear, others are unsure about the route that we are taking”.

But he emphasised the society had been doing all it could to ensure the process was one of openness and dialogue. A website, has also been set up.

“The council and executive of the society have welcomed hearing from members – and the issues raised by the NW group have been useful. Many of the specific concerns are ones that they commonly share. However, they have taken a clear view that forming a single organisation is the best route towards solving these issues,” he said.

Separately, in his regular blog, faculty president Dr Richard Heron said in August that “a very productive meeting” had been held with members in the north west, “discussing concerns and challenges around the moves towards creating a ‘single organisation for occupational health’”.

The working group leading the project had now presented to every one of the society’s regional groups over the past 18 months, he added.

August also saw the launch of the new National School of Occupational Health, a collaboration between Health Education England and the faculty (Occupational Health, News, July 2014).

It is intended the school will oversee specialty training in occupational medicine in England.

“We are hopeful that the school will provide a focal point for supporting training in the specialty, unite current trainees, attract new doctors to the specialty, and promote a more effective and supportive model of training for the future; this in turn should help to raise the profile of occupational medicine and ensure the future of the specialty,” said Heron.

Nic Paton
Nic Paton

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

previous post
Personnel Today Awards 2014: HR Supplier Partnership shortlist announced
next post
NHS sickness absence drops to lowest recorded level

You may also like

Call for better workplace ventilation as Covid cases...

1 Jul 2022

NHS to push expansion of health checks in...

1 Jul 2022

Business leaders urged to prioritise wellbeing as we...

1 Jul 2022

Home working enabled more with arthritis to stay...

28 Jun 2022

Third expect no access to mental health support...

28 Jun 2022

Lack of sick pay forcing two-thirds to work...

27 Jun 2022

Cost of living could lead to ‘pandemic sized’...

27 Jun 2022

Thousands unable to access local stop-smoking support

27 Jun 2022

Managers unsure how best to support cancer return...

24 Jun 2022

Employers urged to offer fast-track long Covid support

24 Jun 2022

  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...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 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • 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
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today