What is occupational health?

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Nicole

Occupational health is a specialist branch of medicine focussing on health in the workplace. It is concerned with the physical and mental well-being of employees. Occupational health specialists can support organisations through advising on work-related illnesses and accidents, carrying out medicals for new starters and existing employees and monitoring the health of employees.

Occupational health services are also used to assist organisations in managing absence situations – both short and long term.
The opinion of an occupational health specialist might be crucial in determining how to manage a capability issue, and the opinion of an occupational health specialist can be key evidence in a claim to an employment tribunal.

Only large organisations are likely to employ their own occupational health specialists BUT most organisations will contact an external provider of occupational health services as and when they need it. In some organisations there will be an employed full time nurse who has training in occupational health. This might be supported by a part-time doctor who comes to the organisation to carry out medicals and other assessments. Other organisations, particularly those working in hazardous areas, are more likely to employ their own doctor.

Do you need some advice on what services and products are right for your business and its circumstances? 
Contact us via our quick and easy to complete enquiry form.  We look ofrward to hearing from you.

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An Introduction to Health Surveillance

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Nicole

Over the years health surveillance has developed and expanded exponentially and due to this there are many definitions for the term health surveillance. But the idea behind health surveillance has always remained the same and concentrates on the well being of the employee. It concentrates specifically on how certain work practices and activities can adversely affect the health of any employee in the work place. Health surveillance can also be carried out for an employee’s fitness to work and or for the status of the employee’s fitness to work. Health surveillance is implemented to protect the health of the individual employee. It concentrates on work processes and analysis any possible issues that may occur when an employee completes this process. It looks at any adverse effects this process could have and tries to implement guidelines that would avoid any problems to the health of the employee. Health surveillance is vital in some jobs especially when employees are working with certain machinery or working with chemicals and substances.

Why Carry Out Health Surveillance?
There are certain types of health surveillance that are actually required by law but at the same time the types which are not required by law in many cases are still implemented by organisations as good practice. In many cases we find that some companies may carry out a pre-employment health assessment to determine whether or not a certain individual is fit to work in a particular job. Ultimately health surveillance can help to protect the health of the employees by putting certain processes in place that would make sure the employee is doing their job in line with current guidelines and also in the safest manner possible. Health surveillance will also allow a company to detect and adverse effects of their job at a much earlier stage when something can actually be done about the problem. Implementing a good health surveillance policy will also allow the company to assess their control measures and tell them whether or not their current control measures are effective and really are doing the job they should.

Health Surveillance – Employers Checklist
There are a few things that an employer needs to consider with regards to their employees and about the safety of their employees with regards to implementing health surveillance. The first question the employer needs to ask himself or herself is what issue they think they currently have and all the possible dangers their employees may be in or may be exposed to. Health surveillance should not be confused with general health check-ups as it is a more in depth analysis of the employee’s health. This will allow an employer to check and assess which employees would need health surveillance and what type of surveillance they would need. Next they need to ask themselves how they can go about controlling this issue and if need be who they would need to contact for advice on the issue for example there may be the need of contacting a nurse or doctor. The next stage would be to implement all recommendations as soon as possible and to further measure the usefulness of the measures implemented. This will be a process of continuous improvement and more than likely it will require continuous tweaks even if it is at a small scale.

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Case management revealed

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Nicole

Case management is very much in the press at the moment as it is referrerd to frequently in Dame Carol Black’s proposed Fit for Work initiative.  For more information about this proposal, click here  

According to the magazine Personnel Today, case management is becoming an Occupational Health buzz word.  This interest in the term has been heightened by recent discussions within the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions calling for a healthier workforce here in the UK.  

So what is case management?
Case Management involves close liaison between employee, manager, OH and others and acts as a cost-effective way of helping people return to work.

Here at Corporate Health we have a dedicated team of dedicated case managers to work alongside our clinical team to ensure that our customers get a seamless service with clear, decisive and commercially focussed advice and outcomes.

According to the Case Management Society of the UK, case management is defined as “a collaborative process which assesses, plans, implements, co-ordinates, monitors and evaluates the options and services required to meet an individual’s health, care and employment needs”.

To read about Personnel Today’s viewpoint on case management and Occupational Health, click here

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Protect and nurture your people for short term survival and long term growth

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Nicole

With unemployment at an all time high since 1994, employees are suffering from ever increasing levels of vulnerability and stress in the work place.  Ill-health relating to stress at work is feared to get worse according to joint research by the CIPD, IIP and HSE.  Stress can lead to a lack of productivity and loyalty from staff and all at the very time when as an employer you need to remain competitive, with your people engaged in the business and being productive.  It can also mean people are at work through pressure to bring in business when they should in fact be absent.

It is a constant balance, managing and supporting your staff without incurring large and unplanned for costs. One answer is the introduction of employee assistance programmes, known as EAP, which can be tailored to suit both your organisation’s budget and requirements.  These programmes can start from as little as a few pounds per employee covering telephone support through to a full program with face to face counselling. It is another avenue of assistance for the employee facing life events and an opportunity for the business to help its staff whilst hopefully keeping them engaged in the business and more importantly with customers. Occupational health plays a vital role as a partner in business with you and in keeping your business legal when it comes to statutory health surveillance and improving employee attendance when it comes to managing absence in the work place.

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Proactive methods of dealing with absenteeism

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Nicole

Absenteeism costs the UK economy untold billions of pounds every year in lost productivity. For employers to realise the benefits of a more productive workplace, they need to look beyond measuring absence, and more towards proactive solutions that encourage health and wellbeing.

1)   Use an occupational health provider

Outsourcing this area is probably the only solution, and it is flexible and scalable. Providing health screenings as part of your duty of care shows that you are a trustworthy employer, and you will benefit not only from better awareness of health and wellbeing in the workplace, but increased employee trust. Using an independent occupational health provider is a great way of showing that you are keen on looking after your people, and in turn, is a key reason why people stay with your business.

2)   Use an Employee Assistance Programme

EAPs as they are known can cost as little as a few pounds per employee, and are proven to bring limitless return on investment. From the very basic online services to 24/7 phone lines and face-to-face counseling, EAPs flex themselves to the size and requirements of your business. They are confidential, and can be used as a benefit for your employees – another key engagement and retention tool.

3)   Communicate, communicate and communicate

Do your employees really know that you provide occupational health solutions? Do they know where to turn if, for example, they have health issues or if they are feeling depressed or stressed? By providing proactive solutions to problems before they arise, you nip absenteeism in the bud, but your employees must know about them first of all! Communicate clearly, concisely, and regularly.

4)   Assess, Monitor, and Evaluate

If you have an EAP, you have a wealth of data at your fingertips: what are the major reasons for absenteeism? What are the major problems my staff are facing at the moment? Financial? Health? Stress? It’s all there. You can also carry out workstation assessments to pinpoint any potential problems before they arise. Assess your workplace regularly, monitor your staff, and evaluate regularly.

As an employer, you have a duty of care towards your employees, and in the growing war for talent, employees are looking for employers who can provide a little extra. Cost-effective benefits such as occupational health or EAPs cost relatively little, but the rewards they bring in increased productivity and reduced absenteeism have a positive impact on your bottom line.

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Empowering YOU to solve life’s daily personal and working challenges

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Nicole

These days more and more businesses are looking to provide a holistic solution to their employees in terms of health and wellbeing within the workplace.  With unemployment at an all time high since 1994, businesses are quite rightly looking to save on budget whilst avoiding losing valued members of staff. All of this economic and employment uncertainty is having an adverse affect on the levels of vulnerability and stress in the workplace which is also sadly at an all time high.

Finding one provider to take care of all your businesses Occupational Health needs, whilst still giving value to your business your employees and your bottom line, has never been as important as it is now. 

So what is Occupational Health and how can it benefit your business?
Occupational health plays a vital role in helping employers care for and understand the needs of their employees. It is a vital component of any HR policy which must be understood and completed in order to enable employers to understand and comply with Health and Safety legislation, and to ensure workplace risks are effectively managed. One of the many programmes that should form part of any modern policy is that of Employee Assistance Programmes, known as EAP.

EAP programmes are a great introduction into occupational health and a great tool for helping employees manage the work-life balance whilst being able to maintain a level of wellbeing in the workplace. Corporate Health, based on the Slough Trading Estate, can help companies and organisations to address occupational health issues in a way which benefits both the worker and the company. We can help to reduce sickness absence levels whilst optimising staff performance and productivity at the same time.

For more information, contact us and select EAP.

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Occupational Health and the misuse of Drugs and Alcohol at work

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Nicole
How much is alcohol-related absence costing your business? 
Alcohol alone is estimated to cause 3-5% of all absences from work and about 8 to 14 million lost working days in the UK each year. 

The misuse of drugs and alcohol, especially at this time of year, can negatively impact on lost working days for your company through to sickness and absenteeism. 

What is a Drugs and Alcohol policy and why does my company need one? 
It is very important to have a policy in place as it acts as your guide if you ever have to manage employees in such a situation.  As the evidence shows, alcohol misuse at work is a real problem for UK businesses and the repercussions of managing employees who are abusing drugs and alcohol can be serious and sometimes fatal leading to all sorts of problems for the employers and employees down the line.

For more information and a case study, click here

The Bad News - 
90% of personnel directors from top UK organisations see alcohol as a problem in their companies.  (See the survey here)

The Good News - People with drink problems can and do cut down, and Corporate Health can help make this happen!

Do you have a Drugs and Alcohol policy?
Would you like one for your company?
 

Simply, complete our contact us form and select Occupational Health in drop down menu under Services and press submit or call 0330 330 3095.

 

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Private GP’s based on the Slough Trading Estate

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Nicole

Were you aware that we have many treatment services available at our Slough clinic?  These services include a fully functional Private GP.

How would our GP’s benefit you?

  • Does your surgery not have many appointments available?
  • Do you work a distance from home and struggle to get an appointment to suit your working hours?
  • Would you find it easy to pop to the doctor in your lunch break?

We have other treatment services carried out by nurses on site such as vaccinations and check ups, as well as a fully functional dentist, so we can help treat you and your symptoms all under one roof.

We are conveniently located on the Slough Trading Estate and we can offer free parking to our patients.

To find out more about our GP service and the associated fees, please call 0330 330 3095 or complete our contact us form here. 

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The Benefits of First Aid training!

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Nicole

According to ROSPA every year in the UK we face the challenge of reducing about 300 fatalities to workers and members of the public due to reportable accidents at work and more than 28.5million working days are lost due to work-related accidents.

  • So, who is the first aider within your organisation?
  • Are they up to date with the latest techniques?
  • Are their qualifications current and in date?
  • Have you added any new departments or processes recently that may mean a change in risk and the potential need for first aid within the workplace?

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These regulations apply to all workplaces, including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.  So, what is [2]‘adequate and appropriate’?  This will depend on the circumstances in each workplace. This includes whether trained first-aiders are needed, what should be included in a first-aid box and if a first-aid room is required.

So, are you fully aware of the consequences that you and your business could face if your first-aiders are not fully trained?

Corporate Health fully understands that dealing with medical emergencies can be a very frightening and stressful experience, so we have put together a series of first aid related courses which are aimed at providing basic information along with the confidence to deal with the emergency. The guarantee to you is that your training will be worthwhile and fun.  Make first aid a priority for your business in 2012.

For further information, please click here

Corporate Health is a Health and Safety Executive approved First Aid Training provider and have been for many years. 

 

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Welcome to the Slough Dental Surgery

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Nicole

Introducing the Slough Dentist …

If you are looking for a dentist in Slough you need to look no further.
The Slough Dental Surgery is renowned for the quality of dental work provided and the relaxed environment in which you are looked after. This private dental practice has been running at this location for over 10 years. You can be confident that you will be looked after by Jonathan Hibbs with over 30 years as a practising physician.

We offer a wide range of services to suit your individual needs including: Dental Fillings, Root Canal Treatment, Extraction, Veneers, Teeth Whitening, Orthodontic Treatment and Dental Implants. If you can’t find what you are looking for please give us a call or take a look on the website.

We offer the most suitable, high quality yet affordable services in the dental industry. We are devoted to the well being of our clients using up-to-date, mercury free and minimally invasive dentistry techniques. If you can’t find what your looking for be sure to give us a call to see if we can help. We’re confident you will be pleased in the service offered.

Jonathan Hibbs’ Dental office is located in the Corporate Health medical centre on the Slough trading estate in Berkshire, just 5 minutes from junction 6 of the M4 motorway. See the Location page for a detailed map. The corporate health centre in Slough is ideally located for patients attending from work or home.

Book an appointment today by calling us on +44 (0)1753 781622 or click here to email us.

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