College News - March 2008RCPE comment on Dame Carol Black's Review on Health & WorkingDoctors Support Call for Greater Emphasis on Healthy Workforce & Better Support to Allow Patients to Return to Work as Quickly as Possible ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 17 MARCH 2008*** RCPE Press Release DOCTORS SUPPORT CALL FOR A GREATER EMPHASIS ON A HEALTHY WORKFORCE AND THE NEED FOR BETTER SUPPORT TO ALLOW PATIENTS TO RETURN TO WORK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE RCPE comment on DWP/Carol Black Review on Health & Working Prof Neil Douglas, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), said, “Being able to work is one of the most important aspects of health and has been underestimated in the past. The College very much welcomes the publication of this new report [1]. For many people work is the reason to be healthy – both to be able to work and provide for their family. In turn, work, itself, is a vital determinant of health and wellbeing. “In order to keep working age people healthy it is essential that we maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of work via the legislation available and encourage health-promoting employers. Employee health should be promoted at every opportunity; for larger employers support could include work-based catering, exercise, smoking cessation, stress management and the availability of counselling and physiotherapy on-site. Clearly, it may not be possible for smaller employers, without access to occupational health services, to provide all of these options and the Government should ensure that appropriate advice and information can be accessed quickly by all employees finding themselves unfit for work. Such measures will be vitally important in supporting people with conditions which can be self-limiting and in assisting people with chronic disease or disability to return to work. “The suggestion that we should replace a paper sick note with an electronic fit note has much merit, as this would place emphasis on capability rather than disability. Patients and doctors will require education and training to ensure that such a system is supportive and applied appropriately. “We can also make a difference to the health of the workforce by improving medical education. There is a strong need to integrate a grounding in occupational medicine in undergraduate curricula for health professionals whilst developing a culture where doctors and patients recognise the importance of work to health.” ENDS Contact: Graeme McAlister on 0131-247-3693 or 07808-939395 [1] Dame Carol Black's Review on the Health of Britian's Working Age Population was launched by the Department of Work and Pensions at 11.00am today Added 17 Mar 2008
|
 |
 |