Every part of policing has signed up to a shared national definition of what officers and staff should be able to expect from occupational health, published today by the National Police Wellbeing Service.
'Police occupational health: a national consensus' sets out the principles every force's occupational health (OH) service should meet. It commits forces to a service that is configured to the needs of their workforce, accessible and equitable to all, timely, professional and ethical, integrated into how the force runs, and accountable for what it delivers. The eight signatory organisations have also committed to a set of joint actions to support forces in getting there.
Occupational health is the only clinical service inside policing. It supports people to stay well at work and to return safely after illness or injury and advises managers on fitness for work and workplace adjustments. Successive national workforce surveys have shown high levels of fatigue and mental ill health among police officers and staff, and research has found absence due to psychological ill health across the police workforce had nearly doubled over ten years.
The consensus is part of the wider reform of police occupational health led by the National Police Chief Medical Officer and sits alongside the Police Reform White Paper's commitment to mandatory national wellbeing standards, the strengthened Police Covenant and the Workforce Prioritisation Guidance - all of which place OH practice and standards among the areas that forces will be measured against.
Professor John Harrison, National Police Chief Medical Officer for England and Wales, said:
"I am delighted that the Police Reform White Paper has recognised the important role of occupational health. As we move towards mandated wellbeing standards, the strengthened Police Covenant and the Workforce Prioritisation Guidance place OH practice and standards among the priority areas that forces will be measured against.
"The national consensus gives policing a shared definition of what good OH looks like. It will help forces plan their investment to deliver credible, consistent, cost-efficient and effective services. Occupational health contributes directly to all five delivery areas of the national health and wellbeing strategy. When people can get to OH at the right time, problems are less likely to escalate and support works better. That is what the consensus is designed to make possible in every force."
The consensus is supported by ‘A prospectus for change’, which sets out the case for investment in police occupational health, and by ‘Reforming police occupational health: Purpose, Performance, People,’ which sets out a road map for change in the context of police reform. The National Police Wellbeing Service will share further material on occupational health over the coming months, including at the Oscar Kilo national conference in October.
The consensus document, ‘A prospectus for change’ and ‘Reforming police occupational health’ are all available at oscarkilo.org.uk - Occupational health | Oscar Kilo