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

Aim To assess the range of activities undertaken by National Health Service (NHS) consultant occupational physicians, and quantify the proportion of time spent on these so that appropriate guidance and a model job description may be developed by the Association of NHS Occupational Physicians (ANHOPS). Methods A questionnaire was developed and sent to all full time consultant occupational health physicians (as recorded on the ANHOPS database). Results Sixty-five questionnaires were sent out, of which 38 were returned (59%). Only 31(48%) of replies matched the entry criteria of being full-time NHS consultants returning fully completed questionnaires. An average of 18 h face-to-face clinical work (range = 0-36 h) over five sessions (range = 0-9 sessions) was found. Remaining time was predominantly spent on clinical administrative work although some consultants took on a variety of other managerial activities. Conclusions Responding full-time NHS consultant OHPs found it difficult to quantify and categorize their workloads, particularly for non-clinical work. Their responsibilities vary widely. Of use for job planning purposes is the average commitment of clinical sessions (five).