HISTORY
1900 First law legislating work accidents. This law originated the development of a treatment and compensation system for workers.
1955 Occupational Medicine officially recognised as a medical specialty.
1956 Spanish Society of Occupational Health and Safety at Work founded as a federation of regional societies.
1989 Access to 3 year formal training in OM through national examination.
2005 Four year Specialist Training Scheme in Occupational Medicine established.
ORGANISATION
POPULATION
Total population: 46.072.834
Active population: 23.122.300
Registered doctors: 219.031 (476 doctors / 100.000 inhabitants)
Occupational Physicians: 10.500 doctors with title of specialist in OM (5.500 doctors actually working in OM (estimated))
NATURE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES
In-house OHS: mainly public sector and large private enterprises.
Outsourced OHS: most medium and small sized enterprises (a very high number of private companies in Spain are medium or small) and many large companies.
PROFFESION
TRAINING
After medical school, access to a 4 year specialist training programme in Occupational Medicine through national examination. Training includes a 6 month theoretical course, 20 months hospital rotations and 20 months rotation in an Occupational Health Service. Training is funded mainly by private sector (unlike other specialties) which is causing a worrying decline in number of trainees.
TASKS / TASK DISTRIBUTION
– Preventive: Most OH Physicians work in this modality. Health surveillance and fitness for work evaluation. Periodical medical examinations for workers. It can be done in an in-house OHS or in an outsourced private OHS.
– Clinical: diagnosis and treatment of work accidents and occupational diseases in a “mutual insurance company”. This system is parallel to the National Health System, which covers not work related pathology.
– Others: Evaluation of work disability for compensation schemes. Sickness absence. Advice/support Units for General Practitioners. Civil Service. University.
HOT TOPICS
– Decreasing number of trainees.
– Communication between the two systems of social security (occupational and not occupational) and the preventive system (OHS).
– Occupational diseases.
– Changes in legislation.
– Concern about the position and the future of the specialty.
ASSOCIATION AND WEBLINKS