Occupational Health Physician in Bournemouth

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust is looking for a Consultant Occupational Health Physician to provide expert clinical leadership across our Occupational Health & Wellbeing Service, supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of employees across the Trust.

You’ll deliver a high-quality, evidence-based occupational health service — from complex case management and fitness-for-work assessments to statutory medical surveillance and health risk management — while contributing to the strategic development of the service alongside the Head of Occupational Health & Wellbeing Services and the Occupational Health Clinical Nurse Manager.

What we're offering:

• A senior, influential role with genuine scope to shape the strategic direction of Occupational Health & Wellbeing Services across a large, integrated acute Trust




• A supportive, multi-disciplinary team with strong links into HR, Health & Safety, and staff-side colleagues




• Protected SPA time for clinical governance, audit, research, and CPD, with a flexible, negotiable job plan (6 PAs, 4–5 clinical PAs)

What we're looking for:
Full GMC registration with a licence to practise, and a CCT (or CCT gained within 6 months of interview) or CESR in the specialty.

This is a genuinely exciting time to join a Trust that's transforming its hospital services in Dorset, with real opportunities to influence how occupational health supports the wider NHS workforce agenda.

Main duties of the job

Main Duties

• Deliver specialist occupational health assessments, including fitness-for-work, complex case management, and ill-health retirement input




• Provide statutory medical surveillance (Ionising Radiations Regulations) as an HSE-appointed doctor




• Advise on functional capacity, workplace adjustments, rehabilitation, and return-to-work planning




• Liaise with GPs, specialists, HR, and managers, and provide clinical supervision to the OH team




• Assess and advise on workplace health risks, including site visits and control measures




• Contribute to the strategic development, governance, and clinical standards of the Occupational Health Service

Working for our organisation

UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women's, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

As part of our commitment to delivering high-quality care across seven days, this post may involve participation in an out-of-hours rota, including evenings, weekends, and/or bank holidays, in accordance with service needs. Any work undertaken outside standard hours/PA’s will attract remuneration in line with the respective NHS Medical and Dental Terms and Conditions of Service.

We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist occupational health assessments, including fitness-for-work evaluations, complex case management, and ill-health retirement input




• Provide statutory medical surveillance (Ionising Radiations Regulations, asbestos, lead) as an HSE-appointed doctor, and apply Tier 4 HAVS expertise where required




• Advise on functional capacity, work capability, workplace adjustments, rehabilitation, and return-to-work planning




• Assess and advise on workplace health risks, including structured site visits, hazard identification, and control measures




• Support the development and delivery of health surveillance and workplace wellbeing programmes




• Maintain accurate, confidential clinical records in line with professional standards




• Provide specialist advice and clinical supervision to Occupational Health clinicians and the wider team




• Contribute to the strategic development, clinical governance, audit, and quality improvement of the Occupational Health Service




• Support organisational objectives to reduce sickness absence and improve workforce wellbeing

Key Relationships

• Head of Occupational Health & Wellbeing Services — senior medical input into service delivery, governance, and clinical standards




• Occupational Health Clinical Nurse Manager — joint oversight of safe, effective, high-quality clinical service delivery




• HR Business Partners and managers — case conferences, attendance management, and employee health guidance




• Health & Safety colleagues — workplace risk assessment and control measures




• GPs, specialists, and allied health professionals — liaison on complex or shared care cases




• Occupational Health clinicians and wider OH team — specialist advice and clinical supervision

Person specification

Experience

• working in occupational medicine




• broad clinical experience




• working in a MDT




• working in a NHS OH service




• experience of complex case management




• HSE appointed doctor

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Gemma Lynn Job title Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services Email address gemma.lynn3@nhs.net Telephone number 03000194217