What do consultant occupational physicians do in the National Health Service? An audit

Area of Science:

• Occupational Medicine
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The Association of NHS Occupational Physicians (ANHOPS) sought to understand the scope of work for NHS consultant occupational physicians.
• A need existed for clear guidance and a model job description for these specialized roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the variety of activities performed by NHS consultant occupational physicians.
• To quantify the time allocation across different professional tasks.
• To inform the development of professional guidance and job descriptions by ANHOPS.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was designed and distributed to full-time consultant occupational health physicians listed in the ANHOPS database.
• Data analysis focused on respondents meeting specific entry criteria, including full-time NHS consultant status and complete questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Out of 65 distributed questionnaires, 38 were returned (59%), with 31 meeting the study criteria (48%).
• Respondents reported an average of 18 hours of face-to-face clinical work per week, spanning approximately five sessions.
• Significant time was dedicated to clinical administrative tasks, with some physicians also engaged in managerial duties.

Conclusions:

• Full-time NHS consultant occupational physicians reported difficulties in quantifying and categorizing their workloads, especially non-clinical responsibilities.
• The scope of responsibilities for these physicians is highly variable.
• An average of five clinical sessions per week is a useful metric for job planning purposes.