The NHS Practitioner Health Programme (PHP) is a free and confidential NHS service for doctors and dentists with issues relating to a mental or physical concern or addiction problems, in particular where these affect their work.

NHS Occupational health services can support doctors with such concerns within the workplace.

PHP and NHS Health at Work Network have agreed that with a doctor’s explicit and informed consent, and where relevant, PHP would contact the OH service where the doctor works to ensure that all services are working together for the benefit of the doctor and the patients in their care.

To facilitate communication PHP have the names and contact details of the NHS Health at Work Network’s regional representatives in England. This means that PHP can contact the representative to get the name and details of the lead clinical person in the OH service of the Trust where the doctor works allowing direct communication with a named person.

Further information on confidentiality and consent is available here.  We also have an excellent case study which demonstrates the benefit of OH involement.