How to choose an occupational health provider

Your organisation may need an OH provider if

You have legal duties to carry out health surveillance (e.g. exposure to noise, vibration, respiratory sensitisers, or other regulated hazards).

You employ people in safety-critical roles (e.g. driving, working at height, rail, construction, utilities).

You need expert, impartial fitness-for-work advice and guidance on reasonable adjustments.

You want to manage sickness absence more effectively and support earlier return to work.

You're onboarding staff and require pre-employment/placement screening or immunisation checks.

Consider your requirements

Size and complexity: Is your organisation a small/medium enterprise or a large multi-site employer?

Who needs support: Which parts of the workforce need services (e.g. shift workers, lone workers, safety-critical teams, office-based staff)?

Geography: Do you need a local, regional or national provider to cover all sites and shift patterns?

Resources: What facilities (private rooms), budget and IT access will be available?

Referral routes: Who will liaise with the OH provider—one nominated HR contact, or line managers directly? Ensure the provider has a clear process for managing referrals, consent and bookings either way.

Delivery model: Do you require on-site "batch" clinics (suitable for surveillance), remote/telephone appointments, external clinic visits, or mobile units? On-site work can be efficient but may need extra arrangements (private space, power, parking and schedule planning weeks in advance).

Legal competence: Make sure the provider can meet statutory requirements (for example, delivering health surveillance with appropriately trained and certified clinicians).

Scoping: Plan a scoping meeting before any longer-term contract to confirm volumes, SLAs and reporting.

What to look for in a Provider