Occupational Health Services in Scotland

Abstract

There is now considerable evidence that work is good for you. Positive effects include improved financial prosperity, social participation, self-esteem and improved physical and mental well-being. Overall, the benefits of work appear to outweigh the risks and to be much greater than the detrimental effects of prolonged sickness absence or long-term unemployment. Given the cost of sickness absence to business and that of worklessness to the tax-payer, there has been a drive in the UK to reform provision of welfare and occupational health (OH). Most health care within the UK is provided by the tax-funded National Health Service (NHS), free at the point of delivery. Historically, however, the NHS did not provide OH; rather, it was provided either as in-house OH services by larger organizations (public and private sector) or externally by specialist OH companies. Consequently, many small and medium-sized enterprises received no such services. The result has been patchy OH provision across the UK and a lack of a “joined-up approach”. This chapter describes the changing face of OH provision in the UK over recent years, using the OH service provided by GO Health Services, Grampian, as an exemplar model.