Occupational medicine: paradise lost

This year marks the 350th anniversary of Milton’s Paradise Lost first being published. It includes the concept of felix culpa (fortunate fall), the philosophy that the good which evolves from the fall leaves us in a better place, with opportunity for greater good than would otherwise have been possible. Occupational medicine in the UK has fallen, captured by the title of an editorial ‘Occupational medicine is in demise’ [1]. It is important to acknowledge that the specialty faces an existential crisis, since transformational change only occurs after creating a sense of urgency, whereas the leading cause of failed transformations is to allow excessive complacency [2]. The fall was anticipated in papers published in this journal between 2001 and 2004 [3–5]. Readers were reminded that the consumer is boss, one who expects value for money and more for their money [3]. Claiming that traditional definitions of occupational medicine did not explain what was on offer, a consumer-focused definition was proposed to explain the unique contributions and added value [3]. It was noted that better marketing was needed for the business case for occupational health services (OHS) [4]. Readers were warned that ‘while the shape of business has changed, the shape of OHS largely has not’ which ‘together with growing manpower shortages, could widen the gap between the need for and the provision of OHS unless radical measures are taken’ [5].

http://ift.tt/2kI1lit