On registering with SEQOHS, we will ask for details about your service, which will help us to define the type and size of service that you have. This information will determine the fee payable and the accreditation requirements for your type and size of service. It is therefore essential your service profile is regularly reviewed and kept up to date.
In addition to the ongoing support of the SEQOHS team, the service’s stage one annual membership fee gives you access to:
- the self-assessment tool on the SEQOHS web tool
- the action planning tool on the SEQOHS web tool
- the knowledge management system (KMS) on the SEQOHS web tool
- one place on a mandatory stage B training day (per 5 years)
Once services have completed their self-assessment and begin their formal assessment for accreditation, they enter stage two. The costs of assessment for accreditation and maintenance of accreditation through annual renewals is reflected in the fee changes for services stage two.
The annual fee is inclusive of all costs arising from the normal course of assessment and accreditation, and services should read the terms and conditions, which are applicable when registering.
The information you provide at registration, and in any subsequent profile updates, enables the SEQOHS office to assign one of three service sizes: a single-handed provider, a small service or a large service. These service sizes are defined below.
The SEQOHS fees from April 1 2016 are as follows (excluding VAT):
| Service type | Number of sites | Stage 1 annual fee | Stage 2 annual fee |
| Single-handed provider | 1 | £250 | £250 |
| Small service | 1-7* | £1200 | £2400 |
| Large service | 8+ | £2000 | £3300 |
* Unless providing OH services to 145,000 or more workers, in which case a service would be
considered a ‘large service’.
Notes
Both broader OH and occupational health physiotherapy services follow the same fee and banding structure.
For more information on stage one and stage two of the accreditation pathway, please see the Quick Guide to SEQOHS. The annual instalment is exclusive of VAT, which will be charged at the appropriate rate.
Definition of a single-handed provider
A single-handed provider is any OH physician or practitioner who operates independently as a peripatetic service or as a service with offices.
They may have access to an identified occupational physician, listed on the GMC specialist register, including for advice or the escalation of cases and have administrative support but do not employ directly or contract any other clinical or technical staff.
Note: This does not apply to single-handed providers who outsource large multiple contracts or work to networks or third party providers, etc. other than for their own reasonable holiday cover and it would be considered between 6 to 8 week's annual leave is reasonable or as part of Business Continuity planning, which might include having another clinician nominated within your Business Continuity document who would provide cover in case of any adverse events, such as your own illness or incapacitation, when checks under A1.3 would apply.
Definition of a site
A site is defined as a facility which a service uses to conduct its business. This should not include any client offices which a service works from, and should only include the facilities that the service is directly responsible for. It would be expected that the service’s branding or name is on signage on the outside of the facility, and that the service owns or pays a lease for its use. A mobile unit is considered to be a site.
Upgrading to stage two
Stage two begins once a service signs off its self-assessment and is ready to be formally assessed by an assessment team. If this is on the annual instalment due date then a full invoice for the year, at the stage two fee, will be raised. If this is part way through the year then the difference between the stage one and stage two fee will be payable, pro-rata for the remaining months.
For example, if a small service’s annual instalment is due in July and they sign off their assessment on 1 March, they would be liable for the difference between the stage one and the stage two fee for 1 March to 30 June. They would then pay the annual stage two fee on 1 July. Please see the worked example below:
| Small service stage one fee | £1,200 |
| Small service stage two fee | £2,400 |
| Difference between stage one and stage two fee | £1,200 |
| Time from signing off (1 March) to annual instalment being due (1 July) | 4 months |
| Prorated fee | (£1,200/12)*4 = £400 |
The service would therefore pay £400 on 1 March. Their full stage two annual instalment would then be due on 1 July (£2,400).
Please note the Stage 1 annual fee ceases once the service has upgraded to Stage 2.
What does the annual fee include?
The annual fee includes attendance for one person at the "How to Prepare for Accreditation" training days, access to the web tool and website including the self-assessment tool and the action planning tool, and access to the knowledge management system, which contains examples of best practice from across accredited services.
Training days
SEQOHS runs regular training days for services, and it is a requirement for gaining SEQOHS accreditation that one person from each service should attend. The price for one delegate is included in the fees paid, with additional delegates attending at a cost of £175 plus VAT per delegate. For more information and to register for a training day please click here.
Additional delegates can attend a training day, at a cost of £175 plus VAT per delegate. For more information on the training days and to register, please see here.
Payment terms
The standard payment terms are thirty days from date of invoice, as per the standard terms of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine. All fees are quoted exclusive of VAT, which is applicable at current rates.