Time for Change: Kevin Bampton’s Call to Reform Occupational Health
At this year’s Ruth Alston Memorial Lecture, our board director, Kevin Bampton delivered a thought-provoking speech on the state of modern-day Occupational Health and Hygiene. He argued that, despite advancements in medicine and workplace safety, the UK faces challenges in establishing a comprehensive occupational health system that effectively prevents illness and injury.
He started off his lecture with this reflection:
“There is a country where the state provides and mandates that you have a health care worker within work teams. They provide free medicine and free prescription. They have a generous system of time off from work if you’re feeling ill. And they also have a really, really effective record keeping system. So which country do you think this is?” It was Ancient Egypt, 2500 years ago.
Drawing on various historical comparisons, Bampton highlighted how ancient Egyptian workers benefited from structured health provisions and yet, as he says, “3000 years later we are still scratching our heads about these things”. In contrast, modern occupational health practices in the UK have evolved alongside economic shifts, the introduction of the NHS who will pick up the ill and injured and ‘fix it’, privatisation, and regulatory changes, leading to a more fragmented approach.
He described the relationship between public health and workplace safety regulations, noting that greater alignment could support better health outcomes for workers. He also discussed how access to health data and early detection of occupational illnesses play a key role in improving workplace well-being.
Bampton shared examples of workplace health risks and the importance of ensuring that protective measures are in place to safeguard workers. He suggested that adopting aspects of the Finnish model—where employers have a legal duty to prevent workplace illness and facilitate early detection—could help strengthen occupational health frameworks in the UK. He made an interesting point about the lack of empowerment individuals have over their own health data and the disconnect this has to manage their health when they visit a GP for example.
His speech provided valuable insights into the historical, ‘what once was an effective occupational health model’ and the future alignment of occupational health, emphasising the need for continued focus on prevention, accountability (government and regulators included), and worker well-being. he ended with this statement: “whether we look at three thousand years BC or current 21st Century, it doesn’t matter, it’s time for change”.
This synopsis is written by Mandy Murphy, Board Director at Council for Work and Health