Occupational health services are provided by three main groups:

• NHS consultancies, which employ OH physicians and their teams
• In-house OH departments like those still employed by major employers such as Shell, Unilever, Kellogs and Cadbury-Schweppes
• Private or independent OH sector. The last group ranges from small specialist firms to major operators such as Capita - currently the leading supplier of occupational health services in the UK - as well as Bupa and Atos Origin/Sema.

There are a range of factors driving the trend to outsource OH services, from the need to cut costs and focus on core functions, to the move to extend the reach of OH to smaller organisations and to get people on incapacity benefit back into the workforce.

Outsourcing Occupational Health

Advantages:

• Clarity: Service easier to measure in cost terms
• Focus: Core function of specialist supplier
• Strategy: Clearer understanding of role of OH and contribution to the business
• Professionalism: Increased career opportunities in large suppliers

Disadvantages:

• Expense: External suppliers are profit-making concerns
• Inflexibility: Service-level agreements may miss hidden OH functions
• Quality control: Broader array of OH services on market could dilute standards
• Image: External OH consultants are more likely to be seen as 'health police' by staff

The links below provide access to the websites of Occupational Health service providers:

http://www.vhi.ie/employers/occ_health.jsp

http://www.bupa.co.uk/wellness/asp/corporate/services_overview/occupational_health/index.asp

http://www.copeohs.com/

http://www.nhsplus.nhs.uk/web/public/Default.aspx

http://www.unison.org.uk/safety/doc_view.asp?did=177

http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/health/occpnhlth/occhealth.htm

http://www.rpsgroup.com/hsed