17 June 2015

Taylor-Mohrs Care Quality Commission inspection report




Taylor-Mohrs Occupational Health Services was registered with the Care Quality Commission in 2011.

An overview of our Care Quality Commission page can be found at the following link http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-298052371

Our last inspection report was published on 24th December 2013 and can be viewed on the Care Quality Commission website via this link http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-298052371/inspection-report/INS1-1052711756

We were found to have met the following standards:
  • Treating people with respect and involving them in their care
  • Providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs
  • Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm
  • Staffing
  • Quality and suitability of management
If you have any questions about our Care Quality Commission registration or inspection, please either contact Dr Rick Taylor at Taylor-Mohrs Occupational Health Services on 0117 906 4227 or contact the Care Quality Commission directly on 03000 61 61 61, enquiries@cqc.org.uk or their online form.

17 December 2012

Preventing an outbreak of Norovirus at work


You may have heard reports of increasing numbers of people contracting Norovirus in the news. Also known as ‘Winter vomiting’, more than 750,000 people in the UK could be affected the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has said.
The highly contagious bug is known to spread very quickly between those living or working in close proximity. 
The Health Protection Agency figures estimate that some 68,000 people have caught it in the last week for which data is currently available, ending Sunday December 2. It means that, at this stage in the season, this winter’s outbreak is 72 per cent bigger than last winter’s. 
That makes it the biggest early winter outbreak for at least five years and the “bulk” of cases usually came after Christmas. 
The symptoms
Symptoms include a sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Some people may have a temperature, headache and stomach cramps.The illness usually resolves in one or two days and there are no long-term effects. However, if it were to spread across a workforce it could cause substantial disruption. 
Prevention
What steps can you take to best inform your staff and protect against an outbreak spreading at work?
Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact with an infected person, by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, or by consuming contaminated food or water.
Reducing the chances of contracting norovirus is, like other infections, largely down to good hygiene. Regular washing of hands, especially after toileting and being careful around food are always a common sense approach and particularly important now.
This helpful NHS link contains an explanation about the causes, symptoms and tips on how to minimise the risk of contracting norovirus.
Please contact Taylor-Mohrs Occupational Health Services on 0117 906 4227 if you need any more information.

14 December 2012

Tips for preventing workplace flu


Illnesses such as colds and flu are the main causes of winter absence. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 95% of staff give this as a cause of their sick leave.

This often leaves businesses under resourced, staff over stretched and increases the risks of mistakes, accidents and loss of productivity.

Although the threat of flu cannot be completely eliminated, by following some simple steps it is possible to reduce the risk and minimise the spread of germs in the workplace.

We hope these workplace flu prevention tips will help:
  • Offer a flu vaccination to those members of staff not entitled to it on the NHS
  • Raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of flu, e.g. cough, sore throat, headache, runny nose, limb or joint pain, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea
  • Promote an environment where employees who feel unwell with flu type symptoms can go home and stay at home until recovered
  • Consider home working if this is practical for certain staff and consider alternatives to meetings e.g. tele conferences/video conferences/Skype etc
  • Within the workplace promote a habit of ‘respiratory etiquette’ - i.e. not sneezing or coughing without using a tissue then dispose of tissues immediately and wash hands
  • Provide a good supply of clean hand washing facilities, soap and clean disposable towels or hand dryers
  • Offer waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizers to use regularly when hand washing is not possible, and especially to those who spend time on the road
  • Workstation cleaning; encourage employees to clean their desk areas by using disinfectant wipes regularly, particularly on phones and when hot desking
  • Social distancing measures (such as not shaking hands) can also reduce the risk of cross infection - as can as minimising contact e.g. 1 metre minimum between employees and visitors
  • Clean surfaces and door handles regularly with antibacterial cleaning materials
  • Avoid large group meetings (e.g. canteens) by staggering lunch breaks
The NHS website also has a helpful section on seasonal flu, its prevention and flu vaccination at http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx

We are finding that many employers now recognise the impact of seasonal flu on their business and are providing flu vaccination to their employees.

To meet this need, Taylor-Mohrs offers seasonal flu vaccination to those not entitled to it through the NHS. This only takes minutes and often takes place at their place of work. For employers, the cost is minimal compared to the real cost of absence.

Please contact Taylor-Mohrs Occupational Health Services on 0117 906 4227 for more details.

11 October 2012

New 2012 absence findings mask deeper problems in the workplace


The CIPD has just published the results of its 2012 Absence Management survey (in conjunction with Simplyhealth) and August saw the publication of the annual Aviva Absence report. 

As an occupational health physician, I hope this summary of both surveys will help you absorb the key trends in sickness absence and the impact they are having in the workplace.

The CIPD analysed responses from 667 employers in July and Aviva polled 1,000 British adult employees and 500 employers in June.

The headline CIPD finding was that absence levels dropped by nearly a day in 2012 compared to 2011. Data showed that the average number of sick days across all sectors fell from 7.7 days in 2011 to 6.8 this year.

As always, there are differences in the public and private sectors. Sick leave in the public sector dropped to its lowest level for 10 years as employees took 7.9 days off ill compared to 9.1 in 2011. Absence also fell to 5.7 days in the private sector, down from 7.1 the year before.

While the overall trend shows decreased absence levels, employers are reporting much higher incidences of their staff coming in to work whilst sick, also known as ‘presenteeism’. A third of CIPD respondents report an increase in staff working through illness (particularly in organisations expecting to make redundancies in the next 6 months) - no doubt caused by fears of job security in these uncertain economic times. 

However, while the continuing fall in absence figures is positive, the CIPD is concerned that “they may mask deeper problems in the workplace” according to CIPD research advisor Dr Jill Miller. Commenting on the findings, Dr Miller urged employers to examine whether lower absence levels are as a result of more effective absence management or if they reflect the negative impact of presenteeism.

As it did last year, stress remains the top reason for workers to take sick leave. 40% of employers reported a rise in stress-related absences but only 10% of employers felt that the problem had decreased. Yet, despite the growing problem of stress, almost a third of employers said they were not doing anything to reduce it. 

Looking at the main causes of stress at-work, the CIPD survey revealed that workload is an increasing problem, with 57% of organisations listing it in the top three most common causes, compared to 48% in 2011. Employers also listed considerable organisational change/restructuring (31%) and management style (36%) as top causes for stress, suggesting that employers could be doing more to reduce stress in the workplace.

Of additional concern is that the percentage of employers reporting mental health problems among employees, such as anxiety and depression, has more than doubled from 21% in 2009 to 44% 2012.

The main findings of the Aviva Absence Survey focus on the impacts of absence on the workforce. 45% of employers polled believe long term sickness absence is a big issue for their business and 40% say colleagues have to pick up the work of absent employees. 27% say productivity falls during absence, 21% say service standards suffer and nearly a quarter (22%) believe it impacts the business financially. Furthermore, the findings reveal a kind of absence ‘knock on effect’ as 17% of employers report seeing other members of staff go off sick when their colleagues are off long-term. 

The Aviva report reveals that sickness absence is a significant worry for employees too. Half the employees taking part in the research state that their key concern, behind their recovery (61%), is making ends meet if they were absent from work
As always, the facts are really only helpful if we can use them to reflect on our own experiences and to develop strategies for trying to improve things. Helping managers to recognise the signs of stress at work and then supporting both manager and employee with the situation can be very effective in reducing sickness absence. A temporary reduction in workload or flexibility with working hours can often support someone as they try to cope with a stressful situation, whatever the cause. Surveys have regularly shown that companies who allow flexibility within the workplace are rewarded with increased employee commitment and loyalty.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss a particular problem in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact me on 0117 906 4227 or rick@taylormohrs.co.uk



10 July 2012

The Taylor-Mohrs Healthy Travel Summary


Whether you are a frequent business traveller or are planning your summer break, we hope you’ll find some useful travel health tips in this summary of travel related websites. 
We’ve looked at sites from the Foreign Office, Net Doctors, The Guardian and you’ll find links to everything from what vaccinations to have, how to prevent deep vein thrombosis when traveling, business travel tips and a country by country travel health search facility. We’ve even added a guide to the world’s top 10 beaches if you haven’t already booked your tickets.
Don’t forget, Taylor-Mohrs is a registered Yellow Fever Centre and advises on travel health and vaccinations. So, once you know where you are off to - do get in touch if you have any questions.
Happy (and healthy) travels!
Ten tips for healthy travel
A good summary of the main health related things to consider both before and during travel - as promoted by the International Society of Travel Medicine.
Travel health tips from the Foreign Office
Another summary page covering vaccinations and immunisations, general travel health tips, coping with long distance journeys, what to do if you have pre-existing medical conditions, advice on HIV, AIDS and Malaria.
Foreign travel country selector
A very useful site from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office which allows you to select the individual country of travel to receive specific travel advice for that destination. This page also has useful links with advice on how you can renew a lost passport and the steps to take if you fall sick or injured abroad.
Five key tips for healthy business travel
A good piece by businesswoman Amanda Cook who describes herself as having survived 3 overseas relocations as well as extensive international business travel. This article discusses pre-travel diet and how to combat traveling across time zones.
Travel vaccinations guide
Not sure what vaccinations you need? The Net Doctor’s site will help you find out what's required. Click on a region to find the vaccination required for your destination. 
You might also like to know that Taylor-Mohrs provide most travel related vaccinations and are a registered Yellow Fever centre in Bristol.
Deep Vein Thrombosis prevention when traveling
This page by patient.co.uk explains what this is, who might be at risk and has a summary of the exercises that can be taken to reduce the risk of travel-related deep vein thrombosis.
The Guardian Best Beach Guide for 2012
When you have all the health issues covered and you’ve had those immunisations then for many, it’s off to the beach! If you haven’t yet decided - this is a great page with the Guardian Travel Editor’s picks for the Top 10 beaches in the world plus all the UK’s best beaches. 
Our own travel page
Taylor-Mohrs has its own travel page with more links for travel safety tips and details of the travel vaccinations performed by our own qualified medical and nursing staff. These can be given at your place of work or at our own consulting rooms in Clifton, Bristol.
To discuss any aspect of travel health or to arrange a travel vaccination appointment, please contact us at Taylor-Mohrs on 0117 906 4227 or info@taylormohrs.co.uk