Reporter 3/10/01: Report of the Council on the Occupational Health Service

Report of the Council on the Occupational Health Service

The COUNCIL beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. In their Notice of 23 February 2000 (Reporter, 1999-2000, p. 458) the Council announced the establishment of a Committee for the Review of the Occupational Health Service, under the Chairmanship of Sir Terence English. The terms of reference of the Review Committee were to consider the accommodation, operation, and financing of the Occupational Health Service, and to make recommendations regarding the future of the Service. The Review Committee has now reported to the Council who have considered the recommendations in the report.

2. The Review Committee looked at the way in which the Occupational Health Service had developed over the last ten years, whether it currently met the requirements of the University, what its future aims should be, and the way in which the Service was managed. The Committee found that in many respects the Service had performed well and met the University's needs. However, the Committee identified some areas in which developments were required.

3. The recommendations of the Review Committee are set out below. In these recommendations the Committee sought to provide the University with an Occupational Health Service which will be proactive within the University, will assist in the development of policy in the field of occupational health, and will ensure that the University meets its statutory obligations to its employees and students.

Recommendations

A. That the Aims of the Service should be as follows:

(i)	to assist the University in carrying out its duty
	to ensure that work done in the University does not adversely affect the health of individuals, and
	to ensure that the health status of individuals does not put themselves or others at risk while working in the University,
	by providing, monitoring, and developing an awareness of health issues;
(ii)	to assist the University in complying with relevant Statutory regulations;
(iii)	to assist the University in complying with its own relevant policies and procedures;
(iv)	to advise and support management in creating the appropriate environment, to assist the overall objectives of the University;
(v)	to provide screening and vaccination for Clinical Students, screening for P.G.C.E. students, and other services for students as specified from time to time by the University:
(vi)	to work closely with related services such as the Safety Office, the Personnel Division, the Counselling Service, College Nurses, and the Disability Adviser, and with the Department of Community Medicine in relation to the Expedition Medical Service;
(vii)	to maintain confidential medical records so as to maximize the support that can be given to both individuals and managers.

These Aims should be monitored and amended as required in line with developments in occupational health legislation.

B. That a new post should be created within the Service. The University should seek to appoint a Nurse/Manager for the Service. The Nurse/ Manager would be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Service, and would also contribute to the clinical demands on the Service. The appointment should be on the Royal College of Nurses' Occupational Health Nurse Scale at Grade B.

C. That the Service should provide three Physician clinical sessions per week. The resource implications of this should be considered when the new managerial structure is in place.

D. That the Occupational Health Service should be managerially responsible to the Director of Personnel with immediate effect.

E. That the Occupational Health Committee should be disbanded with immediate effect.

F. That the Occupational Health Service should maintain close links with the Safety Office and the Counselling Service, and the other services listed in Recommendation A(vi). The Health and Safety Executive Committee should, as appropriate, ask for reports from the Occupational Health Service.

G. That the Occupational Health Service should continue to be located at Fenner's.

H. That the accommodation for the Occupational Health Service should be self-contained and located entirely on one floor of the building.

I. That after consultation with the Colleges the Service should formalize the relationship it has with the Colleges. The Service may need to implement a system whereby the Colleges pay for the provision of advice and information in relation to College staff.

5. The Council have accepted the Review Committee's recommendations. Accordingly they recommend:

I. That the Occupational Health Service be reorganized as set out in recommendations of the Review Committee.

II. That the regulations for the Consultant Occupational Physician (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 572) be amended as follows:

Regulation 2.

By deleting this regulation.

Regulation 3.

By amending the penultimate line so as to read:

(a) as they concern the University, to the Head of the Personnel Division of the University Offices.

24 September 2001	ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor	GORDON JOHNSON	JAMES MATHESON
	PAV AKHTAR	IAN LESLIE	Z. NORGATE
	TONY BADGER	A. M. LONSDALE	JEREMY SANDERS
	JOHN BOYD	D. W. B. MACDONALD	M. SCHOFIELD
	PETER GODDARD	M. D. MACLEOD	LIBA TAUB

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