14 Dec 2006

Capita Health Solutions today announced that it has signed an agreement with BT to extend its contract to provide outsourced occupational health (OH) services. The extension, worth in the region of £13.5m over nine years until 2015, will provide OH services to over 80,000 staff.

 

Following a joint process between Capita Health Solutions and BT to re-define the service, the contract extension was awarded to deliver a new OH operating model which will ensure that BT staff receive an even more efficient and timely OH service. Facilitated by a greater use of technology to help speed up processes, the focus of the service will be the introduction of OH telephone consultations (Teleconsults).

 

OH Teleconsults will improve interaction with staff by enabling case referrals to be processed over the telephone where there is no requirement for a physical examination, therefore removing the need for travel to and from OH centres. The service will be provided through Capita’s OH service centre, supported by 16 clinics across the UK.

 

Dr Paul Litchfield, chief medical officer at BT, said: “We are constantly seeking to improve the services offered to BT and its people.  Capita Health Solutions have been responsive to our needs and have worked with us to create a system that will  provide us with quality OH advice in a timely and cost effective manner. We look forward in the coming years to driving further improvements in a spirit of partnership and with a firm commitment to innovation.”

 

Zafar Raja, managing director at Capita Health Solutions, said: “A number of factors are driving the need for outsourced occupational health services, including rising premiums for employers’ liability insurance and the recognition that reduced sickness absence results in compelling business benefits. We look forward to building upon our achievements to date and delivering further service and value to BT over the next nine years.' 

 

The original contract commenced in 2000 under BMI Health Services which was subsequently acquired by Capita in 2005.