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This article focuses on the implementation of clinical governance in occupational health (OH) as monitored by the British Healthcare Commission. In essence, clinical governance provides an umbrella under which aspects of quality can be monitored. Patients in the workplace should be offered care with the same assurance of quality that they would get in any other setting. The implementation of clinical governance in OH is not straightforward, but useful resources are available to facilitate it. INSET: IMPLEMENTATION IN A COMMERCIAL HEALTHCARE SETTING: ATOSORIGIN.

The article focuses on the challenges posed by work-related diseases and health conditions to occupational health practitioners in Great Britain. It describes the changes in occupational diseases, along with the prevalence of headache as a common symptom that affect employees. Research findings related to headache, particularly migraine, are discussed. The article also explain the common occupational health problems.

The author discusses the role of improved health and physical activity in the performance and success of British athletes in the 2012 London Olympics and its implications for occupational health (OH). He asserts the lessons from such experience that OH practitioners should consider in the workplace. He cites the important role played by the members of the healthcare team, including physiotherapists, dieticians and psychologists, in preparing the athletes.

The author examines the Boorman review, entitled "NHS Health and Wellbeing," published by the Great Britain National Health Service (NHS) in 2009. He believes that the report was important to occupational health because it contained a large number of recommendations that were significant to the future of specialist practice. He cites the appointment of regional specialists as stated in the report.

The author explores his views on the importance of taking action to protect and promote health in occupational health service. How long can action be delayed is explored as well as the reason why it should be delayed. A study is cited that highlights the detriment to recovery and work performance of early intervention that does not adhere to evidence-based guidelines.

The author comments on the guidance issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the General Medical Council (GMC) which raised and acted on concerns about patient safety in Great Britain. He argues that the guidance could increase the occupational health (OH) professionals' level of responsibility for employee health. He cites a survey which found that 80 percent of nurses had at some point raised concerns about care.

The article discusses the British government's efforts to improve public health and the role of occupational health (OH) professionals. Some common resolutions to improve wellbeing include increase physical activity, eat healthy and lose weight. An overview of the Public Health Responsibility Deal is given. The Faculty of Public Health has pledged to use only occupational health services that meet occupational health standards.

The article discusses the lack of appreciation of the problem of absenteeism in the workplace. Focus is given to the 2011 survey of attendance management conducted by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) for claiming significant improvement in attendance levels without actual rates and new recommendations. Some genuine insights published in the "British Medical Journal" highlighting that managers do not see a problem with absenteeism.

The author emphasizes the responsibility of occupational health (OH) professionals in training future generations of specialists to ensure that the increasing demand for OH professionals will be met. He describes the supply and demand status for OH in Great Britain as of February 2010. He also highlights the professional responsibilities of OH professionals, along with the challenges posed by training future OH practitioners.

The author supports the National Health Service (NHS) plans to implement structural reforms in Great Britain's occupational health (OH) services. He said the present structure is highly fragmented and would benefit from the consolidation and modernization of the industry. He cites the proposed merger of small teams as a step toward improving health and wellbeing services. He urges all OH practitioners to be aware of NHS' planned reforms since they will ultimately be affected by these changes.

The article discusses initiatives to address occupational health in Britain as of July 2011. It cites the 2008 report submitted by Dame Carol Black to the British government which called for more initiatives to promote employee health and well-being, both in the work place as well as by health services. It lists those measures which have taken place since her recommendations, including the new fit note, the shift on well-being from mere risk mitigation, and an accreditation system on determining when employees should return to work.

The author emphasizes the role of occupational health practitioners in addressing the challenge for the British public to understand health risks in the workplace. It stresses the need for such health practitioners to educate patients about the potential link between work and cancer. It was noted that breast cancer has been mostly associated with work exposure, and that such type of disease has been related to shift work. Also stated is the uncertainty on whether shift work causes the development or spread of breast cancer.

The author discusses research insights that British occupational health (OH) professionals can learn from their counterparts in the U.S. He notes that valuable research material are being presented in U.S. conferences of the American Association of OH Nurses (AAOHN) and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). The author cites key topics of articles and papers that British OH professionals can use as reference including professional supervision, substance misuse, presenteeism, and the aging workforce.

The author comments on the White Paper "Healthy Lives, Healthy People" which is said to indicate the need to clarify the role of occupational medicine in relation to public health in Great Britain. He asserts that the White Paper emphasizes the contribution of the workplace and employers in improving public health. Mixed reactions to the White Paper are also discussed. INSET: BACK TO THE FUTURE.

The author discusses the impact of the Quality Accounts Regulations of 2010, that was introduced in Great Britain in October 2010, on the employers and occupational health (OH) practitioners. It cites that the law mandates the publication of Quality Accounts by all suppliers of National Health Service (NHS) services, including independent practitioners. Quality Accounts are public documents that are intended to enhance the public accountability of services.

The author discusses how an organization can reduce costs in operational health management while improving efficiency. He argues that people should be doing the right tasks such as healthcare assistants doing surveillance and immunization and specialist doctors dealing only with complex medical issues. He suggests for organizations to reconsider their operating hours if it is essential to operate longer or shorter. He believes in teleconsultation where travel between clinics are reduced.

The article focuses on the necessity of implementing case management within the framework of occupational health in Great Britain. The use of case managers is cited by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), in its review of long-term sickness absence management. The views of the Case Management Society of the UK (CMSUK) on the role of the case manager in the workplace is also included.

The author weighs the possible implications of the new occupational health (OH) standards launched in Great Britain in January 2010. He contends that these standards should gradually become one of the cornerstones of OH practice. He forecasts that beyond 2011, following the accreditation of organizations, OH care will continually experience improvements. With the eventual retirement of existing OH nursing and medical leaders in 2011, the standards will open new opportunities for new trainees into the specialty.

The author expresses opinion on various reports showing improvement of support for mental ill health in Great Britain. According to the author, there are 65 commitments which are impressive enough, aiming to improve the mental wellbeing of citizens nationwide. Reports such as "Working for a Healthier Tomorrow" and "Working Our Way Back to Better Mental Health" are commended. The significance of caring for mentally ill workers due to the financial and social cost they carry is emphasized.

The article presents news concerning occupational health (OH) in Great Britain in 2009. The first national guidance on long-term absence was set to provide guidelines for employers. The Department for Work and Pensions provided financial assistance to ten regional health and work posts. Seven helpline OH sites for smaller companies have been established, while six OH service accreditation standards have been set.

The author offers insights on Dr. Steve Boorman's review of the health and wellbeing of staff of the National Health Service of Great Britain. According to the author, there is no actual increase in investment in occupational health in the NHS but only verbal commitment from senior people. The author views that the proposals of Boorman aimed to improve the commitment of primary care trusts to NHS health and wellbeing are critical.

In this article the author discusses aspects of the 2008 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) absence survey in Great Britain. He is critical of the use of occupational health by human resource (HR) specialists for the management of long-term employee absence. He offers his conclusions which include the misleading nature of statistics, lack of interest by HR specialists of occupational health (OH) advice, and their attitudes regarding OH intervention in long-term absences.

The article reflects upon obesity and the responsibility of health care workers to set an example for the public. The author explores health behaviors of health professionals, the possibility of limiting practice in medicine and nursing for obese people, and the parameters for establishing fitness to work.

The article reflects upon the lack of evidence-based practice in occupational health nursing and guidelines from the British National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness (NICE) covering absence from work due to illness. The author criticizes occupational health nurses for not engaging in research or contributing to the development of the NICE guidelines that determine practice.

The author argues that occupational health in the British National Health Service (NHS) will not be taken seriously until it is out of human resource (HR). The author mentions the pledges made by Lord Darzi on occupational health in his review of the NHS. The pledges provide a standard for future change in health provision that will be applied to the NHS. While they are directed towards primary care trusts (PCT), they provide a new benchmark for others that provide health services to the public sector, the author said.

The author comments on the response to the restructuring of the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) professional advisory department in Great Britain. Aside from the fact that one of occupational health (OH) nursing's most energetic leaders will no longer be employed by the RCN, the author says they should consider carefully the wider implications of this change. He adds that changes in OH nurse training have not proved beneficial.

The article discusses research evidence on mental health problems and musculoskeletal disorders in the labor market. The British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) produced a systematic review of the research evidence in 2005. Among its conclusions, the BOHRF noted that the extent to which any stress management interventions prevent common mental health problems remains unclear, and that there was limited evidence that changing the work environment can be effective in reducing common mental health problems.

The author comments on Part 3 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register, which was designed to ensure that specialist community and public health nurses are safe to practice in Great Britain. He highlights the opinion of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on Part 3. He argues that Part 3 has significant consequences for occupational health. He adds that Part 3 of the register has its advantages.

The author offers insights on occupational health (OH) in Great Britain in 2008. He mentions that the Department of Health will offer direction arising from the Commissioning Framework for Health and Wellbeing that suggests primary care trusts should commission specialist OH services for general practitioners (GP) patients. He cites the need to reflect on events related to occupational health in 2007.

The article focuses on new models of occupational health support being offered free to employers in Great Britain. The most publicised model is Workplace Health Connect (WHC). There is little or no trained and qualified occupational health input into the Level 1 service of WHC. While continuing to proclaim the success of WHC, the Health and Safety Executive announced in June 2006 that its expansion was to be halted.

The article emphasizes the significance of investing in occupational health (OH) to personnel management in Great Britain. It argues that it is cheaper to invest in OH than to deal with sick leave. It describes the components of the benefit packages commonly offered by companies to their employees. It also explains the benefits that companies can get from investing in OH services.

The article offers observation on the growth of the occupational health (OH) market in the U.S. The best publicised source of market growth has been salary inflation, and OH practitioner salaries have certainly increased by 50% since the millennium. When salary inflation is taken into account, at least all the suggested growth can be explained.

The author comments that fast-track treatments fail to address the real issues. Influential agencies such as the British Health and Safety Executive, the National Audit Office and Auditor General of Wales have all offered fast-track schemes as examples of good occupational health (OH) practice. Prominent in this debate is whether the National Health Service (NHS) should fast-track care for nurses.

The authors argue the continued existence of smaller groups and organizations that address the needs of occupational health (OH) specialists in Great Britain and Europe. They believe that the reason for the multiplicity of health-oriented organizations is founded in the range of professional disciplines and the natural orientation of occupational health towards industrial sectors. They contend that small groups can thrive through partnership.

The author examines the value of health surveillance. He describes surveillance as occupational health's safety net, which protects the business from improvement notices and litigation. The author claims that managers have not really challenged the need for health surveillance. He adds that reform of the regulations and regulatory guidance notes that drive health surveillance programs is long overdue.

The article focuses on the crisis being faced by occupational health (OH) nursing education in Great Britain. The biggest issue in health and work is sickness absence. About one million people will be absent from work due to illness, and many more will be in receipt of benefits and pensions because they are not well enough to work. Specialist curricula are not helping. It is perfectly possible to conclude training with very limited theoretical and practical focus on occupational health.

The article reflects on the role of occupational health (OH) nurse practitioners in expanding OH services in Great Britain. OH practitioners should continue their OH involvement despite the lack of support from the government and employers. OH nurses tend to emphasize on stress and disease ignoring attendance, rehabilitation, performance and productivity. Despite their efforts, OH nurses should be blamed for the need of new strategy and absence of OH services.