Value added

Occupational health: the (improved) value proposition 

Summary:

Occupational physician Paul Nicholson introduces the new edition of Occupational health: the value proposition and explains how recent evidence further underpins the importance of OH to businesses. But, he explains, it’s not as simple as looking for a strict ‘return on investment’ in cash terms. 

A historical problem for occupational health (OH) services was in demonstrating their ‘value’ to business; that is, how OH can contribute beyond helping employers meet their statutory duties to demonstrating a return on investment. This led to the commissioning by the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) of an evidence review, and the publication, in May 2017, of a major report Occupational health: the value proposition (OHVP). The report argued that OH services should be considered in terms of broad value and be provided for legal and moral reasons, and not just on a purely financial business case…

 

Dr Paul Nicholson spent his career as an occupational physician with the RAF, ICI and P&G. He is past president of the Society of Occupational Medicine and past chair of the BMA Occupational Medicine Committee. He wrote Occupational health; the value proposition1 and was the Faculty of Occupational Medicine’s clinical lead responsible for developing the SEQOHS standards and accreditation scheme. 

Author: Nicholson P

Tags health and safety SOM - Society of Occupational Medicine

Occupational Health at Work April/May 2022 (vol. 18/6) pp32-36

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