We talk a lot about case numbers, service delivery, and the rising demand for Occupational Health support. But there’s a quieter issue creeping up the ranks. It’s one that too few organisations are prepared for.

Leadership is thinning out. And fast.

A significant number of senior Occupational Health professionals are reaching retirement age. Others are stepping into portfolio careers or going independent. The result? An increasing gap at the top. One that’s harder to fill than most people expect.

It’s Not Just About Finding a Clinician

Plenty of businesses think they can simply promote a good clinician into a leadership role. But OH leadership is not just about clinical knowledge. It’s about managing risk, influencing policy, leading teams and aligning health strategy with commercial goals.

That mix is rare. And it takes time to grow.

Add to that the limited pipeline of new entrants to the profession, and you start to see the full picture. This isn’t just a hiring problem. It’s a structural one.

Why It Matters

When senior leadership gaps go unfilled, services lose focus. Quality slips. Team morale dips. Governance weakens. And with so many OH teams already stretched, the pressure gets pushed down the line.

Your clinical leads end up firefighting. Junior staff get left without proper support. Strategy takes a backseat. And recruitment becomes even harder.

It’s a cycle we’ve seen before. And we know where it ends.

The Pipeline Problem

This issue has been building for years. Underinvestment in training, limited entry routes and a lack of leadership development have all contributed. So has the shift towards short-term fixes. Agencies, temps, and off-the-shelf providers can fill short gaps. But they don’t develop future leaders.

If you’re not developing people with the right mix of clinical insight and strategic vision, you’re not building resilience. You’re building dependency.

What Can Be Done?

This isn’t about panic hiring. It’s about planning ahead.

• Start mapping your future needs. Not just for today’s roles, but for where your organisation is going.
  
• Identify people internally who could grow into leadership, and give them the tools and support to get there.
  
• Don’t be afraid to look beyond the usual clinical pathways. Some of the best OH services are now led by experienced general managers with strong operational skillsets.
  
• Work with recruitment partners who understand the market and can help you build a sustainable, not reactive, approach.
  

The Cliff Edge

The leadership cliff-edge in OH isn’t coming. It’s here. The organisations that will thrive in the next five years are the ones that take action now.

That means thinking differently about succession. It means building roles with clarity, support and space to lead. And it means treating OH not as a cost centre, but as a vital part of business performance.

We can help you do that.

About Recruiting Heads

Recruiting Heads delivers strategic recruitment for Occupational Health, Wellbeing, H&S and Clinical Governance. We partner with organisations that need more than CVs. We find people who can lead, influence and stay.