26 September 2005 – Government to appoint national director for occupational health
The Departments of Work and Pensions and Health are to jointly appoint a National Director to focus on the health and well being of people of working age.
The new National Director will oversee the implementation of the Health, Work and Well being Strategy to be published later in the autumn, raise the profile of work and its relationship with health and wellbeing, and help develop specific outcomes with all stakeholders to ensure people of working age get the help and support they need to stay in work.
David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said today:
“Patricia Hewitt and I are committed to work with the Health and Safety Commission, with business and the Trade Unions, to create a new occupational health programme for Britain. This is a programme to prevent ill-health, to help rehabilitate those in ill-health, to reduce absence from work, and to avoid people relying on benefits out of work.
“The health and well being of people of working age is of great importance to our future.
“We recognise success will depend not only on engaging actively with stakeholders but also on close cross-Government working, which is why we are announcing today the joint appointment with the Department of Health of a new National Director focussing on occupational health – mirroring the tremendous strides that have been made in public health over the last 100 years.
“We want to match the historic work of the Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health with public health reforms, so that we now focus on the work place and working age population. The new National Director will work with Ministers to build a strategy unmatched in Europe or the World.
“This reflects the importance that both our Departments attach to this area and the close and constructive working relationship that we are developing.”
Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health, said:
“The new National Director for Occupational Health will lead a ground-breaking partnership that will help to break the link between ill-health and being out of work. We want to transform opportunities for people to recover from illness while at work; and maintain their independence and sense of worth.”
The appointment of the new National Director follows the successful example set by similar appointments in other key areas of health delivery such as cancer, coronary heart disease and mental health.
The Government will this autumn launch an ambitious programme focussing on improving the health and well being of people of working age.
Notes for Editors
- The appointment of a National Director underpins the Department for Work and Pensions Welfare Reform Agenda, the Department of Health’s commitment to improving health set out in the Choosing Health White Paper and the Health and Safety Commission’s Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety.
- The Government is due to publish both its Welfare Reform Green Paper and its programme on Health, Work and Wellbeing in the autumn
- National Directors have been appointed covering a number of key health issues by the Department of Health. This will be the first such joint appointment between the two Departments.
- Key aspects of the National Director’s remit will be to provide national leadership and to reflect back to Ministers the views of key stakeholders; and to support the successful delivery of the programme.
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