Dr J Lubin explains why it is important to report data to the THOR-GP scheme.

I have been reporting to THOR-GP since it began.

I attended the Advanced Occupational Medicine Diploma course at the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health at The University of Manchester, and felt that I wanted to give something back to the department, as I had found the training so useful.

It is important for GPs to understand the sorts of conditions that affect our patients at work, as most patients do not have access to an occupational health service.

By collecting this information, we can use it to inform commissioning either by practice-based commissioning or by communicating directly with the commissioning arms of PCTs, and thus help ensure patients can be treated rapidly and either maintained in the work place or returned to it as soon as possible.

This is a new area of information collection in occupational health and I felt it needed support. I have found it instructive and that it takes very little time or effort.

Find out more about the THOR-GP reporting scheme.

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