To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has he made of the use of (a) NHS and (b) privately practising occupational health specialists by employers. (197321)

Many larger employers in the private sector provide their own occupational health (OH) services, while other employers buy OH provision from private providers. The national health service, on the other hand, provides the majority of its own occupational health provision with the remainder bought from the private sector. The NHS Plus project, funded by the Department, set up in 2006, has already begun to improve the provision of OH services to both the NHS and Small and medium enterprises in the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts employ at least one occupational health specialist. (197330)

This information is not held centrally. However, every primary care trust (PCT) is required to make arrangements for the provision of occupational health specialists support to its directly employed staff. PCTs use one of three models of provision:

directly employed occupational health specialists;

access to occupational health specialists through a contract with another national health service body which provides occupational health services; and

access to occupational health specialists through a contract with an independent provider of occupational health services.