National audits of the occupational health management of NHS staff with lower back pain and depression
The Occupational Health Clinical Effectiveness Unit (OHCEU) aims to measure and raise standards, and reduce variability, of occupational health care. During its first two years the unit is conducting the first two national comparative audits of occupational health care in the NHS. Providing trusts with an opportunity to evaluate their occupational health service, and enhance or re-design service provision, will lead to better health outcomes for staff and enhance productivity.
The audits are running concurrently and are looking at how occupational health departments manage low back pain and detect and manage depression in staff who have been on long-term sickness absence. Audit criteria were based on NICE and Faculty of Occupational Medicine guidelines.
Data collection was carried out between May and August 2008. Participants were sent their departments’ confidential results in December 2008 and the national reports are available for download below. An NHS Plus conference will be held for occupational health professionals in April 2009 to discuss the audit results and start the process of developing tools to facilitate improvements in practice.
Further information can be found on the audit webtool:
http://ohceuaudit.rcplondon.ac.uk
Please contact us at: ohceu@rcplondon.ac.uk