Posted By Geoff Helliwell
Members may be interested in particular in the issues that have brought COHPA into existence;
News release written by COHPA external affairs committee.
COHPA, the Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association, is pleased to announce its arrival as a Company Limited by Guarantee, formed to advance the Occupational Health industry.
· COHPA IS HERE TO PROMOTE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
· COHPA IS HERE TO HELP EMPLOYERS FIND OH PROVIDERS
· COHPA IS HERE TO ADVANCE INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE
· COHPA IS HERE TO OFFER COMMERCIAL OH PROVIDERS A VOICE
For further information, please see the attached news release or our website:
www.cohpa.co.ukYours faithfully,
Dr Mike Goldsmith
Vice Chairman and Chair of External Affairs
M: 07860 630 272
E:
mike.goldsmith@cohpa.co.ukCOHPA OFFICE: (Administrator Charlotte Goldsmith)
T: 01933 227788
F: 01933 227766
E:
admin@cohpa.co.ukW:
www.cohpa.co.ukNEWS RELEASE
DATE: 1st June 2004
CONTACT: Dr Michael Goldsmith Deputy Chairman & Chair of External Affairs
COHPA – Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association
T: 01604 870 888 / M: 07860 630 272
E:
mike.goldsmith@cohpa.co.uk W:
www.cohpa.co.uk LAUNCH OF ‘C.O.H.P.A.’
COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION
‘ADVANCING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH’
With recent major HSE strategy such as “Securing Health Together” notably lacking OH provider involvement, this and other key occupational health issues have driven the formation of COHPA
(Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association)
The occupational health industry is growing rapidly due to an increase in organisational legislation and litigation. Today COHPA announced its formation as a legal entity to service the needs of the occupational health industry. The OH industry is conservatively estimated at £3000m – 80% of which is currently unserviced. (COHPA think piece, June 2003)
COHPA Deputy Chairman, Dr Michael Goldsmith said
“As commercial OH providers we are coming together to actively develop the industry and respond to the many key issues that require confrontation: lack of OH representation to Government, a shortage of OH resource, and a need for improved industry standards. One of our first tasks is to promote the benefits of occupational health and to inform business and public sector organisations on the specific services and providers available.”
AIMS: COHPA will support and advance the industry by providing:
REPRESENTATION Contributing and lobbying Government on commercial, professional and educational OH issues such as i) how organisations should manage sick notes, ii) irreclaimable VAT that the OH industry has lost.
Þ COHPA aim to be a powerful force in the industry representing the views of its members and driving for change. Through COHPA all commercial providers will have a voice – from the independent practitioner to large corporate OH provider.
PROMOTING OH It is estimated that currently 80% of the OH industry remains un-serviced! This staggering figure results from the combination of two factors: a serious lack of knowledge of employers’ legal requirements and industry services available, coupled with a further ignorance of the risk management advantages of OH. HR departments have only recently realised how important OH can be, but then find it difficult to source.
Þ COHPA will inform business and public sector organisations of the advantages of occupational health and health risk management, and the range and diversity of existing providers. A programme of awareness building is planned including white paper releases, PR and events. COHPA will help employers to understand what services are available and then assist them in choosing the right services for their organisation.
MANPOWER PLANNING There is already evidence of a growing shortage of OH professionals available. There are no overall manpower plans in place to respond to any increase in the OH marketplace.
Þ COHPA aims to instigate a new focus on manpower planning by advising on the commercial sector’s needs, promoting the OH professional as a career choice and tackling training issues to ensure greater co-ordination and outcomes that reflect professional practice in the marketplace.
BUSINESS REGULATION The HSE identified that as few as 3% of business employers use OH services and that employers are failing to comprehend their legal responsibility. Resulting from the ‘Management of Health and Safety at Work’ regulations and ‘Duty of care’, there have recently been an increasing number of landmark cases that are pushing OH services higher up the corporate agenda. The cost of days lost through sickness absence adds to this problem.
Þ COHPA will raise the profile of OH and health risk management across business, ensuring organisations are gaining regulated, quality OH provision.
INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE Currently, the quality and availability of occupational health throughout the UK is at best uneven. There are many excellent OH providers in the marketplace, but they are unable to access to the market easily. Equally there are increasing numbers of employers waking up to the benefits of occupational health, but who are unsure how to access it and what standards to set.
Þ COHPA aims to enhance Industry Best Practice by (i) raising the standards of OH provided by contractors to the highest level (ii) ensuring consistency throughout the industry, (iii) helping employers to get it right
COHPA Chairman Geoff Helliwell, commented
“The intention of the founders of COHPA is that the organisation will, as it grows in stature and reputation, start to set standards and develop self-regulation systems as a condition of membership. This will enable the organisation to be seen as a safe place from which to choose a provider and a body of whom questions may be asked and reliable and definitive answers obtained. At the same time COHPA want to be seen as a partner in government initiatives for resource planning for the industry and for the development of vital policy issues like the two topical issues of the moment- sick notes and VAT for practitioners.”
Membership benefits
COHPA will offer the following benefits as the association develops:
Publicity Promoting the entire OH industry: services available, benefits to business and providers information
Representation To Government on key OH issues impacting your business
Participation Members have the opportunity to play an active role in advancing the development of the industry
Information, advice and assistance Stay up-to-date with newsletters, access to papers, industry reports and knowledge sharing forums e.g. password protected website.
Accessibility Making your business services more accessible to potential service buyers by sharing consented information.
Networking Ability to meet other providers and industry players
Training Access to OH training courses that are COHPA endorsed
Services Job advertising, news releases, data and statistics, events listings.
COHPA Board
The Board of COHPA was approved by acclamation at the last general meeting of providers and will serve for the first year of operation. The current Board is made up of the following members:
Dr Geoff Helliwell Chairman
Wellwork Ltd
Dr Mike Goldsmith Deputy Chairman/ Chair of External Affairs subcommittee
Medigold Health Consultancy Ltd
Chris Fry Chair of Membership subcommittee
Interact Health Management Ltd
Patrick Carter Chair of Internal Affairs subcommittee
Formerly with Aon Health Solutions Ltd
Judith Howard Rees Gipping Occupational Health
Mark Bounds Atos Origin Healthcare
Julie de Groot Cheviot Artus plc
ENDS
Notes to editor
1. Spokesman – Dr Michael Goldsmith, COHPA Deputy Chairman and Chair of External Affairs on 07860 630 272 or
mike.goldsmith@cohpa.co.uk 2. General information - Charlotte Goldsmith, COHPA Administrator on 01933 227788 or
charlotte.goldsmith@cohpa.co.uk /
info@cohpa.co.uk