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New NHS projects to improve occupational health for local businesses

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH News Release issued by The Government News Network on 8 April 2008

Businesses in six areas across the country are to benefit from NHS advice and support to improve the physical, mental and social well-being of their staff, health minister Ivan Lewis announced today.

The six new demonstration projects located in Merseyside, East London, West Yorkshire, the North East, Devon and Worcestershire will share £11m of capital funding to provide better quality occupational health services (OH) for local businesses.

Today's announcement follows Dame Carol Black's report 'Working for a Healthier Tomorrow', which showed that work can be good for health, reversing the harmful effects of long-term unemployment and prolonged sickness absence.

These innovative schemes create a countrywide network of 11 demonstration projects, which pave the way for other trusts to develop their own occupational health services to be more effective for the benefit of the wider business community. The funding will be managed by NHS Plus, a network of NHS OH departments across England, supplying quality services to non-NHS employers.

Announcing the support, Ivan Lewis said:

"Dame Carol Black's review highlighted that staying in or returning to work is generally good for patient's health whereas unemployment is progressively damaging, leading to more sickness, mental illness, disability and shorter life expectancy.

"Early intervention is crucial for people with health conditions and integral to the promotion of health and well-being in the work place.

"The funding of these schemes highlights the importance of occupational health services and their important role in supporting health, safety and well being in both the workforce and the community. The chosen sites are excellent examples of the good work going on throughout the NHS to reduce ill health and accidents, and improve employee morale and performance in the NHS and beyond."

Welcoming the allocations Dr Kit Harling, Director of NHS Plus, said

"Occupational health services are based on the teamwork of a range of healthcare professionals. These allocations will provide the opportunity to strengthen working practices and achieve new standards of excellence. This will benefit small and medium size enterprises, their staff, and the NHS."

Mary Boughton MBE, Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses' Health and Safety Committee said:

"This funding will help small business right across the country to access NHS Occupational Health services. Our report "Health Matters" highlighted that small business owners want to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees, but this is often costly. We really think that this investment will make a difference for small businesses and their employees."

One example of how funding will prove beneficial is Barts and the London NHS Trust, which has been awarded £3.4m for the redevelopment of a Trust-owned property adjacent to the Royal London Hospital, which is currently undergoing a major redevelopment. The new service will provide an occupational health advice and rehabilitation centre of excellence in partnership with Tower Hamlets PCT and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The service will help prepare people for a return to work and then keep them in employment to help reduce health inequalities and improve the overall health and wellbeing of the local population. The location of the service will also play a key role in supporting preparation for and delivery of the 2012 Olympics.

Occupational health advice from the NHS to businesses can significantly reduce health problems amongst staff. Typical work, for example, includes the management of sickness absence, rehabilitation, and providing advice on a wide range of workplace issues.

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Notes to Editors

1. The Government commissioned Dame Carol Black to undertake a review of the health of Britain's working age population, today James Purnell and Alan Johnson welcomed her report "Working for a healthier tomorrow."

2. Her vision for health and work in Britain revolves around three principle objectives:

* Prevention of illness and promotion of health and wellbeing
* Early intervention for those who develop a health condition
* An improvement in health of those out of work - so that everyone with the potential to work has the support they need to do so.

3. NHS Plus aims to increase the availability of occupational health services for small and medium sized employers in England and uses any surplus to improve the provision of OH services for the NHS workforce.

4. An Advisory Panel provided guidance on the distribution of funding, advising that schemes chosen were those providing the strongest ideas, abilities, innovation, and potential for learning for the benefit of the whole country.

5. The Advisory Panel, comprising of representatives specialising in key areas of expertise - in small business; in occupational health; in rigour of finance - was chaired by DH Head of Work and Health, Geoff Dessent and included:

* Rosina Robson, Policy Development Officer, Federation of Small Businesses
* Surgeon Commodore JJW Sykes, Medical Officer in Charge, Institute of Naval Medicine
* Nick Dolden, Assistant Director of Finance, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust
* Keith Johnston, Project Manager, NHS Plus

Other NHS organisations receiving allocations today include;

Aintree University Hospitals NHS Trust - £1.51m. To develop a Centre of Excellence for Workplace Health on the University Hospital Aintree site which will offer greater capacity for the delivery of core services to local small and medium enterprises. The development will incorporate a healthy living centre approach to reducing health inequalities in deprived areas through workplace partnerships in regeneration, healthy choices and participation in sport

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust £1.6m. The development of a Workplace Health and Wellbeing Centre at Bradford Royal Infirmary together with a satellite unit at St Luke's Hospital and a mobile vehicle to take services out to local SME's. The service will build upon the pathfinding work of the Trust with local ethnic communities in improving access to health services by extending occupational health services to local communities. A particular focus will be upon maintaining and promoting health at work, addressing issues relating to the aging workforce and assisting with early return to work and vocational rehabilitation following illness and injury. There will also be a focus on education and training for healthcare professionals and employers in aspects of work, health and well being.

Newcastle Primary Care Trust £2.07m. The development of an Occupational Health Centre of Excellence, comprising two service centres and two mobile occupational health units. The Centre will bring together occupational health services with spinal awareness, podiatry, counselling, physiotherapy and education and training facilities for health professionals and employers. The Centre of Excellence aims to be the main provider of occupational health services to SME's in Newcastle and the North East

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust £0.65m. The delivery of an Occupational Health Centre of Excellence in a new building on the Plymouth International Medical and Technology Park. The funding will be used to fit out and equip the building to allow an expanded and enhanced range of OH and staff welfare services to be offered. Following a comprehensive review and redesign of existing services and workforce, the aim will be to provide a greater focus on early and more effective OH intervention and staff rehabilitation. Facilities will include gym facilities for musculoskeletal rehabilitation; an alternative therapies suite; a healthy eating cafe and staff training area, as well as improved individual and group based counselling facilities.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust £1.75m. The Trust will expand capacity for delivery to local businesses in Worcestershire and the wider West Midlands by developing a new purpose built facility close to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital site. The service will extend the use of electronic advice, referral and reporting. A particular focus of the service will be working in partnership with local GP's on a range of initiatives including return to work after long term illness.

6. £10m of capital funding in phase one was announced in April 2007. The full schedule of NHS Plus demonstration projects comprises;

Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Barts and the London NHS Trust
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Buckingham Hospitals NHS Trust
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Newcastle Primary Care Trust
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Worcestershire NHS Trust
York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

7. More information about occupational health services can be found via the NHS Plus website: http://www.nhsplus.nhs.uk

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