Occupational illness

Abstract

According to the World Health Organisation, an occupational illness is any disease contracted primarily as a result of an exposure to risk factors arising from work activity. Only 34% of the UK workforce is estimated to have dedicated occupational health service cover compared with 90% in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Finland. GPs in the UK see and treat the vast majority of occupational illness, thus a basic understanding of the impact of occupational illness, along with their causes and management is essential.