Evaluate an occupational health programme.

It has been argued that occupational physicians should 'keep our white coats and stethoscopes'. and it is a sentiment which-1 wholeheartedly support as ours' is a clinical specialty. However, no physician in any specialty can divorce themselves from the economics of health care provision which are of increasing concern for politicians, managers and society. Occupational physicians need to understand and influence decisions which are made regarding their health programmes. Within the NHS or industry all units in an organization are subject to continuous business pressures for the justification and monitoring of performance and costs. The practice of occupational medicine is subject to these same pressures and also an element of competition for access to limited resources and capital. Hence it is essential that occupational health practitioners are knowledgeable and skilled in the necessary management techniques to evaluate and demonstrate the benefits of occupational health programmes. The training of occupational physicians therefore needs to include a relevant degree of strategic business appraisal, organizational planning and accountancy. The evaluation of any occupational health programme should commence from the basic tenet that employees represent one of the most valuable assets of any organization. Occupational health programmes are intended to safeguard the health of employees from work-related hazards and to promote their general health. These contribute to productivity and profitability as well as individual health and well-being. The balance and priorities afforded to these objectives varies greatly around the world according to the different frameworks of industry, legal regulation and provision of health care services. These two perspectives of health protection and promotion are separate but often synergistic: