NHS Long Term Workplace Plan
The NHS England Workforce Plan aims to support the health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce and, working with local leaders, ensure integrated occupational health and wellbeing services are in place for all staff. Nick Pahl, CEO of the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) and a member of Council for Work and Health, has provided the following key points relevant to occupational health services from the plan.
From Section 3 of the Workforce Plan: Retain – Embedding the right culture and improving retention:
Point 25: "ICSs (Integrated Care Systems) need to develop and implement plans to invest in occupational health and wellbeing services. These should align with the national Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing (OHWB) Together strategy along with the ICS design framework. The Growing OHWB Together strategy sets an approach to improve health and wellbeing support practices to keep people well. It goes beyond reducing sickness absence, taking a preventative approach through system-wide, integrated and multidisciplinary services. Such approaches make good business sense. For example, the University of East Anglia and RAND Europe demonstrate that investment of £80 per member of staff in mental health support can achieve net gains of £855 a year through savings from absenteeism and presenteeism. While local context will drive priorities, a core offer could include rapid access to mental health and musculoskeletal advice, guidance and treatment services. As set out in the Fuller Stocktake report, ICSs should look to extend occupational health and wellbeing provision across primary care organisations. NHS England will work with systems and stakeholders to consider how best to complement local investment in OHWB services to keep staff well and therefore increase workforce capacity and productivity".
Point 95: "The forthcoming government consultation on ways to boost occupational health coverage intends to identify the composition of the multidisciplinary workforce required to deliver employment-focused interventions to support the wider working age population. Responses will be used to inform ongoing occupational health workforce planning. Occupational health professionals can advise on employment and support people to return to and remain in work, which benefits individuals and the wider economy, as well as the delivery of NHS services".