26.11.12
Safe accreditation for occupational health services
Occupational health services covering over 1,000,000 employees have achieved Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS) accreditation.
SEQOHS is managed by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) on behalf of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM). The process involves OH services undertaking an ongoing annual programme of quality improvement, accreditation and maintenance.
Accreditation takes up to two years to complete and includes the submission of evidence and documentation for review by a quality assurance board. SEQOHS provides OH services with examples of good standards of practice and independent validation.
Recent companies and employers to receive accreditation include health services, large corporations and NHS trusts.
Olivia Carlton, president of the FOM, said: “It is very encouraging that SEQOHS has become so widely recognised as the standard to meet for occupational health services in both public and private sectors. This is part of the Faculty’s on-going drive to improve the quality of practice in occupational health and we are proud of the progress made by SEQOHS in its first two years of operation.”
Donald Menzies, head of occupational health services at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Receiving an accreditation from the Royal College of Physicians is a strong assurance of good quality, and we are delighted to have our services affirmed in this way.”
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