The Home Office has followed Thames Valley Police's lead by announcing £4m to get sick officers back to work sooner.

The Thames Valley Police Federation welcomed Home Secretary David Blunkett's announcement at the Police Federation's conference in Bournemouth.

Thames Valley Police was the first force in the country to introduce the occupational health scheme.

Pc Wally Cox, of the Thames Valley Federation, said: "Officers who would have waited for 18 months for a simple procedure are getting it in a matter of weeks and they are getting back to work far quicker."

The Occupational Private Treatment and Intervention for Medical Assistance programme (Optima) was introduced in March 2000 to provide staff with fast-track access to treatment to cut sickness levels and get staff back to work fully fit much earlier than if they had been treated by the NHS. It has been successful in Oxford, which has the lowest sickness rate in the Thames Valley.

Mr Blunkett said: "Police officers do a dangerous and difficult job and, in recognition of this, I am putting £4m into providing extra medical staff, counselling services and health screening programmes."