Have a number of exploratory chats with local recruitment agencies that specialise in nurses. I used their services and made substantial savings compared to doctor lead companies even where doctors were not involved in any day to day areas

I'd be very wary of following Bob's advice (sorry Bob). There are nurses, and there are those who have knowledge and understanding of occupational health issues, protocols and standards. Anorak, I take it that all your Occ. Health requirements have been determined via appropriate Risk Assessment, you know the numbers, etc. and that you've already consulted the workforce & the management team about your proposals. Over and above that, if this is a "catch-up" for the company, then the management must be made aware of the potential for Occ.Health outcomes which essentially determine that some people are no longer fit to do the job they currently do (particularly where audiometry and vibration are issues). There's also the potential for resistance by employees on the one hand and the potential for a barrage of claims on the other. Beware of widely established "baseline" protocols used by many providers. These are often little more than a self-assessment questionnaire, providing little in the way of accurate information. If you're playing catch-up with Occ health, you'd want to move up these tiers of surveillance straight away. You also want to ensure appropriate level of assessment before confirmation of any contract for a new start, avoiding the potential pitfall of employing someone who can't do the job without further harm to themselves. Routinely, "baseline" information won't capture that. There may be trouble ahead. Good Luck. Note that the "NHS" provider referenced above is essentially just another commercial contract provider.

Ron H You are correct in drawing attention to being aware so in all cases pre qualify and get in specialists to help you in the process NB: All our nurses were Occ Health specialists and we saved a fortune in docs fees --- We still used specialist doctors but we only used them as necessary as we insisted in a nurse lead service I treat doctors in exactly the same was as I treat any other professional but they do not like it - In those days I had lots of dosh to spend so I could be choosy and demand a high standard and service

Ah yes - the old "you need to do a risk assessment" bounce back! You are not along, cliveq. Things become further confused when we appreciate that "risk assessment" often doesn't mean quite the same thing in health care circles..............