Reflections on Leading OH into the Future 2025 in Brighton
Over 310 participants including delegates, speakers and exhibitors gathered at The Grand Hotel Brighton on the 17-18th June for the Annual Scientific Meeting: Occupational Health 2025 ‘Leading OH into the Future’.
The programme brought together delegates and speakers from over 20 countries reflecting the global nature and importance of occupational health and the breadth of topics within the speciality. Following the Welcome Address by Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, the conference contained a mixture of lectures, clinical updates, presentations and awards.
Prior to the conference, delegates were once again able to take part in the popular visits to local employers which this year included Gatwick Airport, Goodwood Estate, BT Openreach Training Centre and Brighton Aquarium.
Here are just some of the talks, panel discussions and notable awards across the two days:
Day 1
L-R: FOM President Dr Robin Cordell opens Occupational Health 2025, Dr Alice Rutter receives the Peter Taylor Award, Dr Alasdair Emslie gives the Thackrah Lecture.
The 2025 Thackrah Lecture was given by Dr Alasdair Emslie, past president of SOM and CMO of Health Partners Group. Following this, Dr Alice Rutter was announced as the winner of the FOM Peter Taylor Trainee Presentation Award and gave her presentation, ‘Specialist training in Occupational Medicine: averting a doom cycle’.
Commenting on the award, Dr Rutter said “It means a lot to me to win this award. It’s really important to have this work validated as both important and interesting by the Faculty”.
Later in the afternoon, Dr Louise Hancock, winner of the 2024 Peter Taylor Trainee Presentation Award gave her talk, ‘Local Oncology Update – Systematic anti-cancer treatments and their impact on work.’
Day 2
L-R: Professor Dame Jenny Harries gives the Jameson Parkinson Lecture, The Brighton Pavilion, Dr Gail Allsopp gives the Plenary Lecture: Work as a Health Outcome.
The Jameson Parkinson lecture was given by Professor Dame Jenny Harries, recently retired as Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency. Titled ‘Retirement or Re-Occupation’, Dame Jenny emphasised the many benefits of working in older age.
A packed session demonstrated the interest in‘How we can improve the quality and availability of work and health data to improve practice, research and policy’, led by Professor Martie van Tongeren, with panellists Dr Professor Diana Kloss MBE and and Professor Chris Warhurst.
Dr Gail Allsopp, Chief Medical Adviser, DWP shared her inspirational message “Occupational medicine – there has never been a more important time for your work” as she delivered her Plenary Lecture: ‘Work as a health outcome’.
The conference closed with a highly topical lecture on Artificial intelligence:Data, Ethics and Practical Implications from Dr Lara Shemtob, followed by Dame Carol Black speaking on the State of the Nation.
President’s summary:
Reflecting on Occupational Health 2025, FOM President Dr Robin Cordell said “There has been huge benefit in coming together, as there is every year and it’s been another truly international gathering. The value is not just in sharing best practice but being able to have those discussions in the margins as well as asking questions in formal presentations. I’ve learnt a lot, but it’s also helped me, and I hope our delegates, in discussing the big issues in occupational health and how we’ve been able to influence change and ultimately, through healthier organisations, to improve the health of the nation.”
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Brighton.
