Occupational Medicine
This is a 4 year training scheme and entry to the programme is at ST3. The posts are based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (2 posts).
Occupational Medicine is the branch of clinical medicine most active in the field of Occupational Health. Its principal role is the provision of health advice to organisations and individuals to ensure that the highest standards of Health and Safety at Work can be achieved and maintained.
Occupational Physicians must have a wide knowledge of clinical medicine and be competent in a number of important areas. A lot more information is available on the websites of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and the Society of Occupational Medicine.
This is an expanding and exciting specialty, particularly as there is now a great emphasis on improving health through work and also assisting those with health problems to remain and return to work.
The Occupational Health Service (OHS) of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has two sites, one at Leeds General Infirmary and one at St James’s University Hospital. OHS provides occupational health advice to several organisations, including The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the Leeds PCT, non NHS organisations and the Faculty of Health at the University of Leeds. OHS is responsible for approximately 26,000 staff and students.
The four year training scheme enables the trainees to meet the new training curriculum as outlined on the faculty website. The trainee will be supported throughout the four years by the occupational health team including the two accredited specialists in occupational medicine.
The specialist trainees work as part of the occupational health team working with physicians, specialist practitioners, occupational health nurses, moving and handling advisers, departmental management and the administration support team. The trainees also work closely with other disciplines including psychiatry, psychology services, dermatology, GUM, infectious diseases, infection control, risk management, health and safety, the COSHH team, management and human resources.
The trainees register with and attend the Manchester training course in occupational medicine. The trainees participate in outpatient clinics, workplace visits, weekly tutorials, monthly audit meetings and bimonthly clinical governance meetings. The trainees are involved in, for example, pre-employment assessment, rehabilitation, serious communicable disease (eg TB, HIV, Hepatitis B and C) and occupational diseases (eg occupational asthma, latex allergy, work related upper limb disorders, “stress”).
If you would like to visit the department, please contact the Clinical Services Manager, Mrs Margaret Phillips on 0113 2065978.
Useful links
Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians: www.facoccmed.ac.uk (includes the training curriculum).
The Society of Occupational Medicine: www.som.org.uk/Careers_in_OM.11.0.html