Ethics Guidance for Occupational Health Practice 9th Edition - Book - Page 88
4.84. Across global healthcare systems, there is no consistent international standard
for determining where a remote medical service is considered to take place. In
some countries, regulatory authority is based on the physical location of the
worker; in others, it is determined by the clinician’s location; in some cases, both
requirements might apply concurrently. As a result, UK clinicians cannot assume
that UK regulatory requirements will align with those of the worker’s overseas
jurisdiction. Clinicians should therefore ensure that any licensing, registration,
or legal requirements and the indemnity coverage that may apply to an
overseas consultation are satisfied, both in respect to the worker's location and
that of the physician. These considerations reflect the principles outlined in the
GMC’s Remote Prescribing High‑Level Principles. 61
4.85. Clinicians must hold indemnity that fully covers the scope of their practice,
including consultations with workers who are overseas, where relevant.
Indemnity providers may reasonably expect that clinicians have met any
necessary regulatory or licensing requirements in the worker’s jurisdiction and
may require this for the indemnity to remain valid should concerns or claims
arise.
4.86. Patient safety and safeguarding must also be appropriately considered, and
remote assessments involving workers overseas may involve additional risks,
including difficulty accessing timely local clinical support, challenges in
escalating urgent concerns, and unfamiliarity with local emergency or
safeguarding pathways. Clinicians should therefore establish in advance how
such circumstances can be managed in the worker’s location.
Promotion of health and wellbeing
4.87. Health promotion refers to activities intended to support and improve workers’
health and wellbeing through education, behavioural change programmes, or
voluntary screening initiatives 62. These activities are not related to assessing
fitness for work, nor do they form part of statutory health surveillance.
4.88. Their primary purpose is to empower individuals to make informed choices
about their health. They improve individual health outcomes, enhance societal
wellbeing, while also contributing to a healthier workforce as a secondary
organisational benefit.
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