BACKGROUND 'NHSPlus' was conceived as a national agency that would provide occupational health services to organizations, for a fee, without imposing any financial burden on the taxpayer. This self-funding requirement brings into focus the resource implications for such a service and the determination of the charges to be made to external clients. AIM The existing provision of occupational he...

AIMS To establish the nature, extent and organization of occupational health service provision for employees within the National Health Service (NHS) in London and to review the systems for monitoring performance. METHODS Human resources directors and occupational health managers were contacted from a random selection of NHS trusts in the London area and invited to complete an interviewer-led...

OBJECTIVES To examine the adherence by senior NHS medical staff to the BMA guidelines on the ethical responsibilities of doctors towards themselves and their families. DESIGN Postal semistructured questionnaire. SETTING Four randomly selected NHS trusts and three local medical committees in South Thames region. SUBJECTS Consultants and principals in general practice. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUR...

PURPOSE To investigate Dutch novice nurses' experiences and needs regarding occupational health support to prevent work-related health problems and to keep them well-functioning. METHODS A qualitative interview study was conducted with six nursing students and eight newly qualified nurses. The interviews covered three topics: experiences with the link between work and health, received occupat...

PURPOSE The aim of this study is to determine differences in self-reported work ability, work conditions, health and function between ICD-10 groups with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), mental disorders (MDs) and MSD + MD and to determine which variables are associated with sick leave. METHOD A cross-sectional study of 210 employees was conducted at an occupational health service unit. Physio...

The prevalence of diabetes and a significant proportion of unawareness of its risk among the patients indicate the need to include into general prophylactic examinations the standards of medical certification, which would prevent discrimination and ensure public safety. In certifying medical predispositions to work in a person with diabetes mellitus the key issue is to distinguish 2 categories ...

In Sweden, industrial corporations are required to actively monitor and improve the working environment for their employees according to the provision AFS 1998:1, a document that offers guidelines for maintaining a healthy physical working environment, chiefly by ensuring healthy working postures. This provision was purposely formulated in a very general, nonspecific manner in order to be relev...

In this paper, the foundations of professional ethics in occupational health care is described and discussed. After an introduction reminding of the global developments of world economy, communications and trade and reference to cultural and social developments, reference is given the four basic ethical criteria of biomedical ethics of beneficence ("doing good"), non-malfeasance (avoidance of h...

BACKGROUND Agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in the world. The aim of an occupational health service (OHS) is to reduce the risk of work-related diseases, occupational diseases and injuries and to promote workers' health. In Finland, they are part of the public health care system, but for farmers OHS is voluntary. AIMS To explore factors associated with farmers joining farm...

Disability pensions due to skin diseases in Swedish male construction workers were studied by linking data from pension registers and an occupational health service. Incidence rates of disability pensions for cement workers, painters and plumbers were compared with 2 control groups. A total of 623 disability pensions were granted during 4 decades of follow-up. The main diagnoses were eczema (36...