News

The next General Election will be held on 4th July. For many years, SOM has been collaborating closely with policymakers from all parties to advocate for occupational health (OH) and we will continue to do so post-Election, when a new Government is in place. The months leading up to an election…

SOM is calling for support for people to stay in, and return to, work though investment in universal access to occupational health. This should be alongside support (such as work-focused coaching) to help people, such as those with mental health conditions, remain at or return to work. Professor…

Prime Minister Rt Hon Rishi Sunak, MP announced plans today to review the fit note system for people not well enough to work. Fit note certification should include an active review, with a triaged referral to an occupational health professional to support people remaining at, or returning to, work…

SOM is delighted that cuts to Practitioner Health have been reversed. NHS England (NHSE) yesterday announced that the service would be extended by 12 months while a wider review is carried out. NHS Practitioner Health is a free, confidential service for doctors and dentists across England with…

Registration is now open for Occupational Health 2024, with the theme of “Leading OH into the Future”. Book your place here. There are some great speakers covering respiratory, cardiology, neurology, diabetes, travel health, toxicology and leadership issues. View the Day 1 programme here and Day 2…

The Office of National Statistics report a large increase in economically inactive households and worklessness since 2019. A significant proportion of this is due to Post-COVID Syndrome (Long COVID). As a follow-up to the highly cited 2020 COVID-19 themed issue, the Occupational Medicine Journal is…

SOM and Versus Arthritis recently worked together to survey workplace health professionals, including nurses, occupational therapists, HR personnel and more, regarding what support was available for people with arthritis in employment. Given that people with arthritis are 20% less likely to be in…

More people than ever are off work due to ill health. Employee mental health and musculoskeletal issues are a particular concern for businesses, large and small. The government have responded by recognising the need for business to access occupational health. Now, more than ever, it is important to…

The winners of the 2023 SOM Occupational Health Awards were announced last night. You can read about the winners in our Awards Pack. Outstanding Occupational Health Team - Winner: Transport for London Outstanding Occupational Health Initiative, sponsored by NEBOSH - Winner: Catherine Oinonen…

To continue to receive SOM benefits, please renew your membership. Your membership is open for renewal from now until the end of March. If you pay by direct debit, renewal will occur automatically and a payment will be made on or around 1 February - you do not have to do anything. If you are not on…

A new report encourages more effective interventions to support employees and colleagues in managing their mental health. It is launched on the back of increased mental health issues in UK workplaces with a record number of days being lost due to work related stress. The need to support employees…

SOM welcomes the mention of occupational health in the 2023 Autumn statement: “ The government will establish an expert group to develop a voluntary minimum framework which will set out the minimum level of Occupational Health intervention that employers could adopt to help improve employee health…