A personal message from Helen Kirk, the OHMF Chair

Published: 18 September 2009

After more than 30 years, it's the end of the line for the OH Managers Forum. It's also time for strong leaders to put themselves forward as we make sure the voice of OH nursing is heard loud and clear.

The RCN is merging the OH Forum, formed last year from the merger of SOHN and the Occupational Health Managers Forum, into a new Public Health Forum. The OHMF, which I have been privileged to chair, was started by an energetic group of OH nurse leaders more than 30 years ago.

It has been a productive and successful forum and I am sorry to see it go. I hope that my illustrious predecessors will forgive me for watching over the end of the forum.

This had been coming for some time

It was at the end of 2008 that the RCN's two OH groups united, in an attempt to combine their efforts to defend and promote OH nursing. At that time there was some optimism that we would retain a distinct forum for OH nurses. But in the event all the past groups, including occupational health, were offered one seat each on the interim Public Health Forum.

Some good news, but don't be complacent

The good news is that the RCN's Public Health Adviser, Jan Maw, is an OH nurse, as is the Chair of the interim PH Forum, Cynthia Atwell. Next year, elections to the new Public Health Forum are being held. We could be left without an elected OH representative, unless members rally together to ensure that this does not happen by standing for office on the new Public Health Forum.

The complexity that will inevitably be created by the coming election illustrates the challenges that we will face in providing coherent and influential representation for OH nursing in the absence of an OH Forum. More than this, it illustrates very well the need for clear leadership that is focused on the needs of OH nurses.

It's up to us to voice the needs of OH nursing

The RCN has more than 400,000 members and it rightly puts the best interests of all members above those of a small minority. However, sometimes we need to ensure that the needs of the minority, our specialty, are not forgotten. The RCN can rightly call itself the voice of nursing, but we must have able candidates standing and a good turnout in the coming election to provide the strongest voice for OH nursing.

The RCN is a strong advocate for occupational health and it is up to us to ensure that it continues in this role.

I would like to thank all my colleagues in the OH forums and all of you, the members who have supported us. I will continue to lobby hard within the RCN and I hope that many of you will join me in campaigning for OH nursing and new OH leaders next year.