The Faculty of Occupational Medicine and Society of Occupational Medicine have called for the government’s ‘Fit for Work’ initiative to allow employees to be referred earlier. The FOM and SOM welcome the Government’s focus on reducing sickness absence and increasing employment rates for those with disability, but support needs to be available sooner. Employers currently have to wait for 28 days to refer to Fit for Work, and this should be reduced to allow rapid access to the service. Seeking expert advice earlier benefits the treatment and/or management of many health conditions, but it is also recognised that the longer you are off work the less likely you are to successfully return. In many cases 28 days is too long to wait before an intervention starts.
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability is now looking into how the Government can fulfil its pledge to halve the disability employment gap. FOM and SOM’s full submission with their recommendations on which workplace policies and practices support successful employment for disabled people is available on their websites.
Dr Richard Heron, FOM President, said:
While Fit for Work is a step in the right direction, there is still a way to go before we can say all employees have timely access to excellent, accredited and quality assured occupational health support. There also needs to be workforce capacity to deliver this tailored support, to put occupational health at the centre of workplace health and for every worker to understand the role of occupational medicine.”
Notes to Editors
The Faculty of Occupational Medicine is the professional and educational body for occupational medicine in the United Kingdom. It seeks to ensure the highest standards in the practice of occupational medicine, overseeing the continuing professional development and revalidation of its members. It is also focused on promoting and supporting health at work, with its mission statement being ‘to drive improvement in the health of the working age population.
The Society of Occupational Medicine is the UK organisation for all doctors and other healthcare professionals working in or with an interest in occupational health. It is concerned with the protection of the health of people in the workplace, the prevention of occupational injuries and disease and related environmental issues.