Evolution of occupational health 1: Pioneers and 21st century challenges.

The article traces the evolution of the occupational health (OH) profession and its key drivers in the 21st century. It reviews the developments and milestones of OH from industrial nursing to the roles of nurses and doctors in the delivery of a new OH model. The article identifies key issues that the British OH profession needs to address by 2020 including the lack of sustainable funding for OH training, a diminishing research base, and limited affordable access to comprehensive OH services.