Occupational health – the second corporate service to be managed by our shared services partnership – was officially launched today (3 May).

North London Partners Shared Services (NLPSS) is a collaboration between 10 north central London NHS trusts to deliver more efficient and effective corporate services. It launched with recruitment services in December 2021 and will now provide occupational health services for five (and by the end of the summer for a further three) of the trusts in the partnership who have chosen to transfer this service to NLPSS.

Occupational health was identified as a service which would benefit from a partnership approach. Demand for services is growing and challenges exist around recruiting specialists and supporting staff physical and mental wellbeing, which is of particular importance due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NLPSS managing director, Robert Prince, said: “Our vision is that by taking a partnership approach to occupational health, we can be more responsive, deliver improved and equitable access to high quality, innovative, client-focused services and provide more attractive career options and new career paths for specialist staff.”

Occupational health staff from the trusts involved have now transferred to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (the host of NLPSS).

The 10 trusts in the NLPSS partnership are:

o Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust

o Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

o Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

o Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

o North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

o Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

o Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

o Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

o University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

o Whittington Health NHS Trust

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust have chosen not to transfer their occupational health services at this time.

NLPSS has been established in line with the model of partnership working outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan after it was stated that all parts of England would be served by an integrated care system from April 2021.