PROJECT ACTIVITY

Project Activity

Project Activity

Gantt Chart

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WEEKS

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Construct research proposal for UK

legislatives

 

Draw up questionnaires for UK

legislatives

 

Submit proposal for UK

legislatives

 

Timetable interviews of UK

Legislatives people

 

Begin interviews, observations, focus groups and hand out questionnaires UK

legislatives

 

UK

legislatives Analysis and redefine problem(s)

 

Implement findings related to UK

legislatives

 

Prepare draft report on UK

legislatives

 

Begin full UK

legislatives data analysis

 

Complete work of UK

legislatives

 

PROVIDE A CONCISE SUMMARY OF ANY KEY LEGISLATIVE (UK) REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO THE ACTIVITY

UK Legislatives

This paper reports the findings of an audit of the management of occupational health arrangements In 36 NHS Trusts in the Northern and Yorkshire region of England. A questionnaire was designed based on a national NHS occupational health standard to obtain data on eight categories of occupational health activity: health and safety; pre-employment assessments; Infection Control; health surveillance; sickness absence; ill-health retirement; health promotion and record storage. The management arrangements for occupational health were varied. Assessments of workplace hazards, prevention of HIV-positive workers from performing exposure-prone invasive procedures and the assessment of pregnant workers were identified as issues for further consideration. Provision of competent and effective occupational health services will assist In the management of sickness absence and in the protection and promotion of hearth of staff. It will also contribute to the health and safety of patients.

IDENTIFY AND ANALYSE THE KEY RISKS WITHIN THE SELECTED ACTIVITY

It is essential that healthcare workers enjoy the confidence of the general public. Unfortunately, recent wellpublicized events have highlighted the need to take steps to ensure the fitness of NHS staff to be at work. Two healthcare workers have been convicted of causing the deaths of patients in their care1*2 and there have been reports of patients being operated on by surgeons who were carriers of either hepatitis B virus or HTV.3'4 Concerns have been expressed about the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and its transmission within hospitals5'6 and there is an increasing awareness that many NHS staff suffer adversely from overwork.7 It is the responsibility of the NHS to make provisions to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its staff, the patients who are receiving treatment and the many other people who either work on, or visit, its sites. Since the loss of Crown Immunity from prosecution in 1986, NHS has had to comply with health and safety.

Keeping occupational health records is part of clinical practice and a legal requirement. All Trusts had an identifiable health record for each employee and kept records, which included information about immunization history and the response to vaccination. Records were stored appropriately with respect to length of storage (legal requirements) and confidentiality. Seventy-five per cent of Trusts had records that included information about sickness absence referrals but 33% did not maintain a separate health record, distinct from the clinically confidential occupational health record. Anecdotally, there is a perception within the NHS that the type of services provided to patients might influence the priority given to the management of occupational health and safety.

The definition of hazardous substances in COSHH includes micro-organisms. Although hospitals and other healthcare settings may expose staff to ...