Latest / The SOM Podcast / SOM NEWS UPDATE - MAY 2026

Transcript

SOM NEWS UPDATE - MAY 2026 · The SOM Podcast

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  Speaker 1: This podcast is sponsored by orchid Live. You can find
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  Speaker 1: out more at orchidlive dot com. This is your SOM
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  Speaker 1: news update for May twenty twenty six. I'm Steve Randall.
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  Speaker 1: The HSE has launched a public consultation on proposed changes
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  Speaker 1: to ridle the Reporting of Injuries, diseases and Dangerous Occurrencies
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  Speaker 1: Regulations twenty thirteen. The review will look at how work
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  Speaker 1: related injuries, ill health and dangerous occurrences are reported to
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  Speaker 1: the agency. The consultation is seeking views on several areas,
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  Speaker 1: including clearer definitions within RIDDLE, updates to the list of
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  Speaker 1: dangerous occurrencies to reflect modern workplace risks, and revisions to
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  Speaker 1: reportable occupational diseases. It also proposes widening who can formally
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  Speaker 1: diagnose a reportable occupational disease beyond GMC registered doctors to
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  Speaker 1: include other registered health practitioners. The consultation closes on the
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  Speaker 1: thirtieth of June. Some members who'd like to meet to
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  Speaker 1: discuss content for a response should contact Nick Pahl. In
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  Speaker 1: a lesser published in The Observer, Professor Neil Greenberg says
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  Speaker 1: the UK should rely more on occupational health services rather
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  Speaker 1: than gp fitnotes to help people stay in work or
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  Speaker 1: return safely after illness. He argues that occupational health professionals
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  Speaker 1: are better equipped to assess what a person can do
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  Speaker 1: at work and recommend adjustments such as phased returns, modified duties,
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  Speaker 1: and workplace support GPS. He says often lack the time
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  Speaker 1: and specialist training to provide this type of advice. Professor
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  Speaker 1: Greenberg adds that good work can benefit both physical and
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  Speaker 1: mental health, and warns that long periods away from work
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  Speaker 1: can be harmful to well being. He says that if
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  Speaker 1: the UK is serious about reducing long term economic inactivity,
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  Speaker 1: occupational health services should be more widely integrated into mainstream
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  Speaker 1: healthcare and made easier for employers and workers to access.
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  Speaker 1: Occupational Health Awareness Week twenty twenty six will take place
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  Speaker 1: from the twenty second to the twenty sixth of June,
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  Speaker 1: with this year's theme focused on the value of OH
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  Speaker 1: in helping people's stay in work and return to work
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  Speaker 1: after illness. Organized by SOM, the campaign aims to raise
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  Speaker 1: awareness among employers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers about how OH
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  Speaker 1: services can improve employee well being, reduce sickness absence, and
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  Speaker 1: boost productivity. The week will feature webinars, case studies, and
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  Speaker 1: practical resources, highlighting the role of OH in supporting both
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  Speaker 1: physical and mental health at work. SOME says wider access
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  Speaker 1: to occupational health services is essential, particularly for small and
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  Speaker 1: medium sized businesses, and can play a major role in
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  Speaker 1: tackling economic inactivity linked to ill health. SOME will hold
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  Speaker 1: its annual General Meeting on Wednesday, seventeenth of June during
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  Speaker 1: the Occupational Health twenty twenty six conference in Nottingham, which
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  Speaker 1: is hosted by SOM and FOM. Members will receive reports
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  Speaker 1: on the organization's activities and finances over the past year,
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  Speaker 1: approve the annual accounts, and confirm the appointment of auditors.
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  Speaker 1: The AGM will also include updates from SOM President Professor
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  Speaker 1: Neil Greenberg and Chief Executive Nick Pahl, along with the
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  Speaker 1: election and re election of officers and board members. All
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  Speaker 1: members are encouraged to attend and take part in decisions
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  Speaker 1: shaping the future direction of the society. The link to
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  Speaker 1: a draft agenda is in the show notes, along with
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  Speaker 1: the link to register for the conference. The International Labour
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  Speaker 1: Organization is calling for greater action to tackle psychosocial risks
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  Speaker 1: and protect mental health at work. The ILO says all
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  Speaker 1: workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace
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  Speaker 1: that supports both physical and mental well being. It identifies
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  Speaker 1: common psychosocial risks including excessive workloads, long hours, job insecurity, bullying, harassment,
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  Speaker 1: and poor job design. According to the organization, these hazards
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  Speaker 1: can contribute to stress, burnout, depression, and cardiovascular disease, affecting
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  Speaker 1: both workers and organizational performance. ILO is urging governments, employers,
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  Speaker 1: and workers to adopt preventative measures that improve how work
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  Speaker 1: is designed and managed, and to make mental health a
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  Speaker 1: core part of occupational safety and health strategies. A new
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  Speaker 1: discussion paper from the European Agency for Safety and Health
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  Speaker 1: at Work warns that growing labour shortages across Europe could
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  Speaker 1: increase workplace health and safety risks if employers fail to
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  Speaker 1: protect overstretched staff. The report says staff shortages can lead
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  Speaker 1: to heavier workloads, longer hours, fatigue, and higher levels of stress,
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  Speaker 1: all of which can raise the risk of accidents and
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  Speaker 1: ill health. But the agency also says good occupational health,
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  Speaker 1: safety and health practices can help employers attract and retain
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  Speaker 1: workers by improving job quality and employee well being. Eu
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  Speaker 1: USHER is calling for workplace health and safety to be
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  Speaker 1: central to policies aimed at tackling labour shortages, particularly as
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  Speaker 1: Europe faces demographic change and an aging workforce. Events coming
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  Speaker 1: up in June include mental Health at Work Monday the
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  Speaker 1: first of June from one until two, Clinical Standards for
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  Speaker 1: OH reports that's Monday the twenty second of June from
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  Speaker 1: one untill two, and there are also some courses to join.
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  Speaker 1: The at Work Partnership OH Report Writing Workshop on Tuesday
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  Speaker 1: the night of June, the at Work Partnership Certificate in
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  Speaker 1: Managing Mental Health at Work Wednesday the tenth to the Friday,
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  Speaker 1: the twelfth of June, and the Appwork Partnership Foundation Course
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  Speaker 1: in Occupational Health Wednesday the twenty fourth to Thursday the
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  Speaker 1: twenty fifth of June. All of these are virtual and
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  Speaker 1: the links are in the show notes. Coming soon Mini
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  Speaker 1: CPD episodes on sleep and hearing, and will also be
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  Speaker 1: finding out about a SOM funded trip to the Arctic
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  Speaker 1: for oneh professional. Some members get all the news first
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  Speaker 1: in the e News email, and remember to catch up
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  Speaker 1: with our other podcast episodes in the same place you're
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  Speaker 1: listening to this one. They include Special Interest Group, Occupational
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  Speaker 1: Therapist and Mini CPD series. And until next time, thanks
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  Speaker 1: for listening. To the SOM News update. This podcast is
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  Speaker 1: sponsored by orchid Live. Orchid live is a specialist occupational
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  Speaker 1: health software used by a number of some members to
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  Speaker 1: run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold
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  Speaker 1: healthcare records for over one million UK workers and work
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  Speaker 1: with both in house teams and OH providers. You can
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  Speaker 1: find out more at orchidlive dot com