Local companies in five regions of the UK will receive enhanced advice and support from the NHS regarding occupational health services (OH), the Department of Health announced today.

Some £10 million of capital funding will go towards improving OH for local businesses in Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, London and Hampshire.

Occupational health advice from the NHS could include management of sickness absence, rehabilitation and various other work-related health issues.

Mary Boughton, chair of the Federation of Small Businesses' (FSB's) Health and Safety Committee, said: "The FSB's own Health Matters report revealed that there are low levels of awareness and access among small businesses to local NHS occupational health services.

"This announcement of a new capital fund to help develop centres of occupational health excellence directed at serving smaller business is a positive development which we very much welcome."

Recently, a group of small business advocacy organisations suggested that smaller firms could benefit from financial aid from the government to help cover the cost of employees going on maternity leave.