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Occupational health and wellbeing

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NHS Highland Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service is concerned with the health and wellbeing of the working population in the Highlands of Scotland.

Important: Contacts

Clinics are held at Broom House, Raigmore Hospital.

The administration team is based at:

Osprey House
Raigmore Avenue
Inverness
IV2 3DZ

What we do

We recognise the important benefits of work and how healthy employees contribute to a productive and motivated workforce. We offer a wide range of services to help protect employees from any hazards at work and to support them to continue or return to work after illness or injury.

We provide confidential and impartial advice to employers to help manage health at work. The service assists employers in reducing sickness absence and in meeting legal obligations under Health and Safety, Employment and Disability legislation.

Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service

Broom House location

Broom House
Raigmore Hospital
Inverness
IV2 3UJ

Services provided

  • management referrals
  • pre-employment screening and other medicals e.g. driver fitness, confined spaces, working at height, food handler
  • health surveillance e.g. respiratory, skin, noise, hand arm vibration, lead
  • immunisations
  • vocational rehabilitation i.e. physiotherapy and psychological therapy
  • workplace health policy formulation
  • workplace health improvement initiatives
  • alcohol and drug screening
  • ill health retirement advice

Our service is provided by:

  • qualified and registered consultant occupational physicians
  • occupational health nurses and advisors
  • clinic nurses
  • physiotherapists
  • psychological therapy practitioners
  • business and administrative teams 

The service is delivered both from our base in Inverness and at various locations across the Highland area. We also operate through networks with other NHS and private occupational health providers. 

For more information on the benefits of the NHS Highland Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service for your company please contact Debbie Miller on the phone number above.

Data protection and GDPR

Questions and answers about Occupational Health (OH) data. Please refer to the NHS Highland privacy notice for further information in relation to NHS Highland's responsibilities under data protection legislation. You will see information on your rights and how to make a complaint should you be unhappy with the manner in which we process your data.

What does GDPR cover?

It applies to the processing of any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual. It does not apply to the deceased or to data that is anonymised.

Who 'controls' Occupational Health data?

NHS Highland will act as the data controller. NHS Highland Occupational Health Service holds OH clinical records securely via electronic means and/or paper documents, in accordance with various legislative requirements. This information is separate to your NHS Highland medical records.

How do Occupational Health 'process' data?

For the purposes of fulfilling our role we need to process information to ensure that we can:

  • correctly identify any existing Occupational Health notes individuals may have
  • create new records
  • update data
  • add information received e.g. from a referring manager

Information Occupational Health will collect or hold

Information that we hold will include any that has been shared with us at the start of a new job - for example:

  • demographic data
  • past or ongoing health conditions
  • vaccination status

We may also, throughout the course of your employment, gather more information depending on level of contact with the service - for example:

  • further vaccinations or blood tests
  • self-referrals
  • management referrals
  • health surveillance

Can individuals access data held on themselves, and will there be a charge?

Yes, individuals can request a copy of information held on themselves subject to adequate proof of identity. We will provide this within one month. There will be no charge unless multiple copies are required or repeated requests are made for the same information. We will not release any information that we believe might damage physical or mental health, or that of another, or any information that might identify a third party unless they have given consent.

If I am in employment how long will my information be held?

We will hold your information from after your offer of employment has been made and commenced, and for a minimum period of six years from the date you cease employment. Some OH health records require to be held for much longer e.g. if any statutory health surveillance has been carried out.

How long do you hold information if I have not been successful in obtaining a post?

If you have applied for a post, but unfortunately failed to obtain it, we do not hold records for you.

If I disagree with the information you hold, can I ask that you correct or delete it?

We will correct or amend any factual errors. We will not be able to erase any existing information, but can add an entry of clarification or a note of your concerns.

If I have been referred by my manager (or self-referred) and the advisor I consult with is recommending an OH report to my manager, does the GDPR change my right to 'view' it before it is sent?

No, we will still offer you an opportunity to have sight of the OH report prior to sending, if you wish. If, after viewing, you subsequently do not consent for OH to release it, a copy will remain within your occupational health file marked clearly that there is no consent to release the report and it will not be sent. Your manager will be advised in writing we are unable to respond to any questions they may have asked within a referral and a record of this will be held in your file. If you have self-referred, no contact will be made with your manager without your knowledge.

Will I automatically be included in an SMS text reminder service?

Yes, if you provide us with a mobile number we will use this for text reminders, for example for appointments.

Accreditation

NHS Highland Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service is recognised for Occupational Medicine training by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians (FOM). We are also a recognised training centre for Occupational Health Nurses, linking with major Universities across Scotland. FOM is the professional and educational body for occupational medicine in the UK and seeks to ensure the highest standards in clinical practice. 

Safe, Effective, Quality, Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS) accreditation is managed by FOM, and provides independent and impartial recognition that a service has objectively demonstrated competence to a team of faculty trained assessors. NHS Highland Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service have achieved SEQOHS and have maintained accreditation since 2014.

Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service

In addition to achieving SEQOHS, NHS Highland Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service also actively participate in clinical audit. Management of Health at Work Knowledge (MoHaWK), also managed by FOM, is a national clinical audit tool which measures and benchmarks practice and processes in order for services to identify if improvements are required. 

Complaints and concerns

NHS Highland Occupational Health (OH) aims to provide an efficient and high-quality service to all our service users. As well as constantly looking for ways to develop and improve our services, we also aim to continue doing the things that are positively acknowledged by our service users.

If, however, you are unhappy with any aspect of your care or the service you receive in Occupational Health, please speak to a member of the OH team as soon as possible. Our aims are to:

  • deal with complaints openly, promptly and properly
  • try to resolve complaints as soon as we can
  • learn from complaints to improve our services

Where relevant, please address your concerns with the member of the OH team who is working with you, in order that they are given an opportunity to discuss the issues with you and address your concerns.

If it is not appropriate to speak with the member of the OH team, or your issue is not resolved:

  1. Please put your complaint in writing to the Occupational Health Manager, either:
    • email ohadmin@nhs.scot
    • post to NHS Highland OHS, Raigmore Hospital, Old Perth Road, Inverness IV2 3UJ
  2. The complaint will be acknowledged on receipt.
  3. The Occupational Health manager will investigate the complaint. This may include seeking further information from you about the complaint.
  4. Following the investigation, a written response setting out Occupational Health's formal response to the complaint will be provided within 20 working days.
  5. If you are still dissatisfied, or consider your complaint complex, serious or high risk then please contact NHS Highland feedback team.

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Last updated: 4 September 2024

Next review date: 3 March 2025

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NHS Highland
Assynt House
Beechwood Park
Inverness
IV2 3BW

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