The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has launched Healthy Working UK – a website to provide GPs and other healthcare professionals with information, training and decision aids concerning the relationship between work and health.
The site, developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Occupational Medicine and Society of Occupational Medicine, was initially piloted in Wales. Funding for the pilot was provided through the Welsh Assembly Government working with Cardiff University and the Healthcare Learning Company.
Along with news articles, other features on the website include a list national and local contacts, such as mental health organisation Mind, that could help during consultations. These can be filtered by specific regions in the UK.
The site also offers a variety of leaflets and guidance over a range of categories, including disability and employment and pregnancy, as well as an ‘ask the expert’ section which allows queries to be submitted to occupational health providers.
Downloadable decision aids for certain disorders and diseases are available to help both healthcare professionals and patients plan a best course of action.
The decision aid for low back pain
RCGP chairman, Professor Steve Field, said: “We welcome the development of any and all resources that improve the relationship GPs and primary healthcare professionals have with their patients, and improve the quality of care that they receive. The Healthy Working UK resources are useful for both patients and professionals, and provide timely access to training, information and decision tools to support their daily practise.”
The website is part of a wider programme which includes e-learning packages for both primary and secondary care professionals, as well as ‘Health & Work in General Practice’ – a national education programme for GPs.
Half-day workshops by the RCGP have so far attracted around 1,400 GPs across the UK, with an aim to increase “knowledge, skills and confidence in dealing with clinical issues relating to work and health”.
Professor Field said: “I am delighted that there has been such an excellent response to the workshops and that so many grassroots GPs are finding the training relevant and useful.”
The website can be viewed at www.healthyworkinguk.co.uk