Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the extent to which all staff within the NHS have access to occupational health services, and (2) the benefits of occupational health services to staff within the NHS.

Responsibility for the provision of occupational health services lies with National Health Service employing organisations, who have a duty of care to staff linked to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Staff are also covered by the NHS Constitution for the right to work in healthy and safe working conditions.

The People Plan’s NHS Growing Occupational Health Programme strengthens support for occupational health as a preventative approach to health and wellbeing. Occupational health can improve attendance by addressing causes of sickness absence and support staff to return to work. The current benefits of occupational health include rapid access to evidence-based mental health interventions and tailored health and wellbeing offers for NHS staff.