How Hampton Knight is Confronting Pandemic Issues with New CEO

There is little doubt that the personal cost of the pandemic has made itself felt through the impact on the nation’s mental health with more people than ever experiencing mental health issues. A rise in problem drinking during the pandemic has been recorded with nine out of ten people admitting to having consumed alcohol while working from home.

As a business at the heart of the challenging issues currently affecting business across all sectors of the economy, Hampton Knight is experiencing high demand for its COVID-19 testing services. At the start of 2021, Hampton Knight, part of the Medigold Health Group, welcomed new CEO, Scot Smith, with a brief to build on the business’s strong heritage and introduce new product ranges that will further accelerate its growth. We talked to Scot about his career journey and what he plans to focus on as he takes up his new post during one of the most challenging economic periods on record.

Scot Smith has more than 20 years’ experience within the healthcare sector. He grew up in South Africa and moved to the UK to start a new life with his family twelve years ago. The first company Scot joined in the UK was Nuffield Health, where he served as Commercial Director. He then moved on to work for Capita PLC as Managing Director where he built on his qualifications and experience eventually joining Medigold Health when it acquired Capita’s Occupational Health division in 2014.

Scot described his particular concern about the impact that the pandemic is having on people’s mental health and wellbeing and how this is fostering the development of harmful habits including substance abuse that would affect both their work and home life.

Scot said, “This is a worrying time, and it is vital that employers look to the wellbeing of their teams and do not ignore the potential impact of the pandemic on their behaviour. Everyone is having to cope with additional pressures during the coronavirus lockdown, whether they are home-schooling, working from home, or simply operating in different ways to accommodate staff shortages and maintain vital business operations. The hidden impact of these additional pressures on their mental health should not be under-estimated.

“The increase in problem drinking is well documented and it is really important that employers remain vigilant to the impact that this trend could have on individuals while they perform their duties at work and at home. I am particularly concerned about the number of companies that have paused their drug and alcohol testing programmes at a time when the risk is at its highest ever level.

“We understand that organisations are facing a range of pressures just now, but I am keen to reassure them that help is on hand. Hampton Knight complements its drug and alcohol testing services with help and support for businesses to set and review their policies and provide training if required. We believe it is important that all employees, regardless of their position in the company, or their current way of working, are fully aware of their responsibilities to deal with alcohol and drug misuse in the workplace. We can also offer help through our Assure product enabling employers to support colleagues that have been identified as being dependent on alcohol or drugs.”

Scot, who lives with his family in Surrey, is looking forward to travelling back to South Africa in the future so that his sons can experience the country’s wildlife and see the ‘Big Five’ for themselves. He was a competitive sportsman in his youth and still enjoys following sports such as rugby and boxing. Scot enjoys heading to the gym in his free time however his real passion is for scuba diving as he finds it not only a beautiful experience, but the quickest way to decompress from the daily pressures of work.

Despite the current lockdown restrictions, Hampton Knight remains fully operational including for the delivery of its core alcohol and drug testing programmes.

To find out more about Hampton Knight’s alcohol and drug testing services, or its COVID-19 testing programme, call 0845 127 8888 or complete the web form.