Programme
- Day 1:
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Tuesday 7 October 2025
- 8.45
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Registration & coffee
- 9.00
-
Introduction and OH hot topics
Dr John Ballard, Occupational Health [at Work]
- 9.15
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Colt Foundation lecture: The Work-Health conversation
Dr Kim Burton, OH research consultant
- Why, who, when and, importantly, what
- Taking a holistic, whole-systems approach to work ability and return to work
- The key players
- Making plans
- OH looking forward
MENTAL HEALTH AND NEURODIVERSITY
- 10.05
-
Psychological health surveillance
Noreen Tehrani, Noreen Tehrani Associates
- Principles
- Parallels between psychological and physical health surveillance
- Screening tools
- Clinical surveillance
- Frequency
- 10.55
-
Coffee & exhibition
- 11.35
-
Assessing mental health fitness for work
Prof John Harrison, College of Policing
- Context
- Assessment approaches
- Management of risk
- Reports and recommendations
- 12.25
-
Supporting neurodiversity at work – what works?
Prof Almuth McDowall, Birbeck University of London
- Background – neurodiversity, wellbeing and career progression
- Common misconceptions
- Examples of good practice
- General or tailored approaches?
- 13.15
-
Lunch & exhibition
OH LAW
- 14.10
-
Disability discrimination
Audrey Ludwig, trainer and consultant
- Determining if a disability is long term and has a substantial impact on day-to-day activities – implications for OH
- Recurring and fluctuating disabilities
- Hidden disabilities
- Key cases update
- 15.00
-
OH law Q&A
Prof Diana Kloss and Audrey Ludwig
- 15.20
-
Tea and exhibition
OH FORUM
- 15.45
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Forum: how can we use artificial intelligence (AI) in OH?
An opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges, legal and ethical issues posed by artificial intelligence in OH in the following areas:
- Patient consent and data protection
- Using AI as assistive technology
- Real-time exposure monitoring
- Health screening and employment
- OH Reports
- Compliance issues
- Professional practice
The session will include brief findings from the Occupational Health at Work survey on OH practitioners’ views and experiences of using AI tools in OH consultations and report writing.
Our expert panel will include:
- Prof Diana Kloss, barrister
- Steve Boorman, independent OH specialist
- Hector Minto, Microsoft
- Dr Lara Shemtob, Imperial College London
- 16.30
-
What matters to you in OH practice?
Five-minute professional briefing sessions
- Your chance to highlight some work that has helped improve health in your workplace, or share a great new idea – but you’ve only got FIVE minutes and 20 slides to do it!
- Click here for more information on how to take part. Get chosen to present a five minute briefing session, and you can attend day one FREE!
- 17.30
-
End of day one
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- Day 2:
-
Wednesday 8 October 2025
- 8.05
-
Breakfast briefing: evidence-based OH practice
Dr Pippa Leighton, OccHealthNet
- Asking the right questions
- Finding and applying the evidence to your OH practice
- 8.40
-
Coffee
- 8.55
-
Welcome
OH PRACTICE SESSIONS
- 9.00
-
Driving and health at work
Lucy Smith, Mitie
- Health conditions affecting fitness to drive
- Fatigue, shift and night work
- Disclosure and confidentiality
- Supporting the health of occupational drivers
- 9.35
-
Fitness to drive and the OH professional
Dr Amanda Edgeworth, DVLA
- Assessing fitness to drive – what OH professionals need to know
- Alcohol use disorders and fitness to drive – recent changes to how DVLA assess cases
- Drug (mis)use and medical fitness to drive – illicit and prescribed
- 10.10
-
Q&A
- 10.30
-
Coffee & exhibition
- 10.55
-
Working and return to work through chronic pain
David Rogers, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham
- Impact of pain on work ability and employment
- Assessing pain and co-morbidities
- Evidence-based interventions
- Giving advice on return to work
- 11.45
-
Current and developing issues in occupational asthma
Prof Jo Szram, Royal Brompton Hospital, London
- Latest issues and sources of concern
- Diagnosis, prevention and management
- Occupational health implications
- 12.35
-
Lunch and exhibition
- 13.25
-
Welcome to afternoon
OH LAW
- 13.35
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The Nick Hanning Lecture: OH legal hot topics
Prof Diana Kloss
- Gender reassignment and the Supreme Court
- Dismissal for long-term sickness absence/capability
- Employment Rights Bill and unfair dismissal
- Other hot topics
OH PRACTICE SESSIONS
- 14.40
-
Complaints against the OH professional
Dr John Ballard
- Results of our research
- Experiences and nature of complaints
- Impact on OH professionals
- 15.25
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Final questions
- 15.30
-
Close of day two
Benefits of attending
This two day seminar offers a fantastic opportunity to update your OH expertise, plus plenty of opportunities to network – including at our exhibition and at our conference dinner.
How will attending this event benefit you?
You will gain:
- An insight into managing mental health at work, including best practice advice on assessing mental health, supporting neurodiversity and psychological health surveillance
- An understanding of the importance of holistic approaches to workability and return to work– in our Colt Foundation Keynote Lecture
- An insight on the use of artificial intelligence in OH
- A chance to ensure that you are following the best evidence-based practice
- Expert insight into practical topics such as chronic pain, driving and occupational asthma
- An up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest developments in OH law, including a closer look at disability discrimination law
- An update on the latest developments in OH
This seminar is designed for:
- OH professionals from the UK, Ireland and overseas
- HR managers
- Allied health professionals
Present a five-minute briefing session and attend day one FREE!
Would you like to present a new idea that has helped improve health in your workplace? Present a 5 minute presentation and attend day one for FREE! Showcase an OH intervention, discuss a dilemma in OH practice or present the key findings of some research.
Challenge or celebrate what you’ve been doing in OH in 5 minutes & 20 slides! For more information on how you can take part, click here: https://www.atworkpartnership.co.uk/workplace-health-5-minute-presentations
Attendance in person or online
Delegates are encouraged to attend in person at the Chesford Grange Hotel, where they will be able to benefit from the learning and networking opportunities of a live event, but for those that cannot join in person, we offer an online alternative
In-person attendance
The conference will be held at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth CV8 2LD Tel: 01926 859 331. The Warwickshire conference and hotel is well-placed at the heart of the country, with easy access to Warwick, Coventry and Birmingham. Advance peak fares are approx. £50 return. Delegates attending in person have the opportunity to network with other delegates, speakers and exhibitors and can ask live or written questions at the event. They will be provided with printed conference documentation on arrival. The fee includes printed documentation, refreshments and lunch.
Online attendance
Online delegates will be able to register to watch the conference live on Zoom, and the fee includes printed conference documentation which will be sent in advance. Online delegates will not be able to ask questions live, as microphones will be unavailable for virtual attendance. However, they will be able to put written questions in the chat function in Zoom.
There are limited spaces available, book now to avoid disappointment!
