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Dear List We have? a choice to embrace changes or reject them. If we reject change then we will go backwards to the OH world of "industrial nurses and paracetmols, cough medicine and sticking plasters. We can embrace change and move forward. We talk about multidisciplinary working but in reality it is often each speciality in there own box with very little joined up colaborative working. OH doesn't need to be swollowed up by the lastest speciality which is flavour of the month be it H&S, HR or any other. OH needs to make a difference to both its clients and the company's "bottom line". That difference doesn't need to be "creamed off" by fancy marketing ideas and profits but rather by significant difference to individuals lives. We are about to make significant changes to the way we work. We want to work with GP's, Physios, Psychiatrists, counsellors, OT's?and OHP's. OHN's will case manage the clients and liase with the managers. We want to enable our enployees to return to work and to intervene at an early stage to facilitate rehabilitation. In this collaborative way of working OHN's will have the?pivitol role. They will have to undertake more training to be able to fullfill their role. We are all really excited about all the changes that are coming. There are likely to be some challenging times ahead and we will need to justify the changes we are making. Jean -----Original Message----- From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:26 Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Fit Notes-The future of Occupational Health Specialist Hello Sue I would be interested in reading more about your particular worries and those of the practitioners you have met at conferences. I see the "Black Report" as not being perfect, there is an emphasis on the NHS, my experience of the NHS as a provider of health care recently has been extremely disappointing - can they take this on? As a starting point for OH, there were lots of things I would have liked to have seen included which were not eg there was no recommendation to make access to an OHS a statutory requirement. Fit notes - this is a better emphasis than a sick note culture. I would like to see OH being included in the education of all nurses and medics and particularly so in the education of GPs. Perhaps the threat to OHNs is the emphasis on Case Management - We could find our role eroded if we don't watch out. For several years I have been advocating that OHNs ensure that they are extremely skilled in vocational rehab. I don't think the Black report will be the end of OH practice as we know it. NMC requirements on the content and delivery on OH programmes will have a greater influence on the focus of OHN practice. Looking forward to hearing from you, and anyone else who would like to share their views. Best Anne On 10/4/08 19:25, "Susan Clarke" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Some more pontifications from Sue.......... i am really not happy with > what I am hearing. Tuesday, I spent an excellent day in London at Imperial > College for Asthma study day and it was excellent. But much other talk was > the Black Report and the future of OH. It is not only the OHA's who are > not happy, the OHP's are not either. Surely, we need to take some radical > action, before our choices are made for us? > > > It seems to me that RCN is now disowning OH and concentrating on the NHS. > There are two possibilities moving forward: building new alliances and > adapting, or sit back and watch OH die away as a profession. Putting aside > the distinct possibility that Gordon Brown's government will be replaced > in 2009, the main partner for OH could be the BMA. Although both groups > might question this, there are good reasons for closer collaboration. In > particular, the Government is again meeting resistance from the BMA about > implementing vascular screening : > > ** Health screening for the over-40s ** > People aged 40 to 74 will be given key health checks under government > plans which aim to save 2,000 lives a year. > < http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/health/7323072.stm > > > > . A partnership between the BMA and OH (which now needs a home, IOSH?) > could create a much better response to rehabilitation etc. (perhaps the > Australian model?). At present, the doctor's are neither willing nor > qualified to properly implement the well note / tick box strategy and it > will fail. Take this example, overheard on a cross country bus service. > The driver is talking to his colleague whom he is taking to the depot. > They are irritated by the unfairness of work changes in the company. About > regional differences in pay, the state of the buses, their suitability for > cross-country work and so on. Then the case of a co-worker who has been > long term sick comes up. He's back, but is on 'light duties'. They scoff: > what does 'light duties' mean? Should he drive or not? If so, how far? > What should he drive? What shifts should he work? Does he need cover? Is > it safe? Who is going to assess all that? The GP - in 3 minutes? I think > not. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Please remove this footer before replying. > > OCC-HEALTH ARCHIVES: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html > > CONFERENCES AND STUDY DAYS: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=OCC-HEALTH > > OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH JOBS > http://OHJobs.drmaze.net > > OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSING EDUCATION > http://www.aohne.org.uk > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remove this footer before replying. OCC-HEALTH ARCHIVES: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html CONFERENCES AND STUDY DAYS: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=OCC-HEALTH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH JOBS http://OHJobs.drmaze.net OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSING EDUCATION http://www.aohne.org.uk ________________________________________________________________________ AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour at http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/ now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remove this footer before replying. OCC-HEALTH ARCHIVES: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html CONFERENCES AND STUDY DAYS: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=OCC-HEALTH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH JOBS http://OHJobs.drmaze.net OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSING EDUCATION http://www.aohne.org.uk