Why does the organisation use occupational health?
Occupational health is an area of medicine specifically concerned with work and health. As an organisation we use [insert name of provider] as our Occupational Health (OH) providers and the advisers are all qualified health professionals with additional training in occupational matters.
From time to time we may request you to attend our OH service for an assessment or screening in connection with any health issues or concerns that may impact on your working life. In addition the organisation uses the services of occupational health professionals to ensure that the working environment is safe and healthy for all its workers.
Why have I been asked to attend an assessment?
If you have been asked to attend for assessment the purpose will usually one or more of the following:
- To recommend a rehabilitation process to enable you to return to work
- To provide advice and assistance to help you gain and/or sustain good health
- To help you to avoid becoming ill by screening and preventative measures.
The OH service aims to work with employees and the organisation to help overcome any issues in the workplace that might affect your health and your co-operation with them is encouraged. In return, we expect the OH service to be courteous and respectful towards you and the organisation is committed to acting, wherever practicable, on advice received to ensure your wellbeing.
Why do you need occupational health when I have my own GP?
The OH service will not be a substitute for the care you already receive from your GP or hospital consultant and it is your GP or hospital consultant’s responsibility to oversee your medical treatment. OH may liaise with your doctor to understand more about your condition but this will only be done with your consent.
Often medical professionals do not have specialised knowledge of your workplace and OH is better placed to assess your condition in light of the job requirements placed upon you.
Who arranges the occupational health appointment?
OH appointments are usually arranged by [insert name/job title] and you will have been notified in writing of the date and time when you should attend. The OH clinic is located at [insert details] although in some circumstances the OH practitioner may visit you at home (with your permission) if you are not able to travel to their clinic due to your ill health.
OPTIONAL
Employees who require assistance with travel to and from the appointment or assistance at the clinic may apply to [insert name/job title] for information on appropriate support.
OPTIONAL
Employees are reminded that is a term of their employment contract that they attend for a medical assessment when required to do so by the organisation and details of this can be found in the [state reference to contract/handbook as applicable]. You should therefore make every effort to keep to the appointment allocated to you and notify us as quickly as possible if you are not able to attend. An alternative appointment will then be made for you. Failure to attend without good reason may be deemed a disciplinary issue and may lead to the organisation making decisions about your employment based on incomplete information.
Please aim to arrive at your appointment promptly as failure to do so may mean you cannot be seen thus incurring a cancellation fee.
What information will OH need and will it be kept confidential?
On arrival at your OH appointment you will be asked to complete a consent form giving the OH practitioner permission to contact your GP and/or specialist for further information. You will also be asked to sign a consent form in which you agree to the medical report arising from your assessment being released to the designated employees in our organisation, such as your line manager and HR personnel. The HR department can give you details of your rights with regard to medical reports and data protection.
Usually, prior to your appointment, your line manager or HR department will have contacted the OH service to outline to them the circumstances of your referral and ask questions about your fitness to work to enable us to discuss this with you and resolve any issues that may prevent you from returning or continuing to work.
How should I prepare for my appointment?
In order to gain the best outcome of the assessment you should ensure that you take the following information with you:
- Details of current medication
- Relevant historical information (for chronic or on-going conditions such as diabetes, asthma etc)
- Dates of forthcoming hospital appointments including surgery or treatment and outpatient care
- Names of specialists who you are currently seeing
- Where you have been notified, outcomes of any investigations such as x rays or scans.
What will happen at the appointment?
The OH doctor is likely to ask you questions about your job role as well as your current illness and progress to date. The doctor’s role is to assess the health issues you have in the light of your normal occupation and may conduct a physical examination if necessary, as part of that medical assessment.
What happens after the appointment?
When the consultation has been completed the OH doctor will send a medical report to our HR department and/or your line manager. The OH report is designed to be objective and not biased towards either employee or employer but will look to answer the questions raised by us in our letter of referral.
The report will usually be provided within [specify timescale if known] and will contain a summary of your current health status and recommendations about the type of work which you may be able to carry out and/or whether you can return to your normal job function with specific adjustments. Alternative job functions may also be suggested if appropriate. The report may also offer an opinion on the likelihood of you being able to give reliable attendance in the future. The report may also advise the organisation as to whether your condition constitutes a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
If you wish to see a copy of the OH report before it is sent to us you should advise the OH doctor of this at your appointment and let them have your postal or email address where it can be sent.
When we have received the report we will usually invite you to attend a meeting in which we can discuss the content of the report, review your current condition and, where appropriate, agree plans for a return to work or rehabilitation programme based on any recommendations in the report. If this is not possible due to the severity or duration of your medical problems, further review meetings may be held and follow ups arranged with OH to monitor the situation. In certain cases a follow up telephone call may be arranged with an OH nurse or advisor to review your progress and update the organisation accordingly.
If the advice in the OH report conflicts with that of your GP or consultant, in some circumstances and at our discretion, we may seek a third opinion to clarify matters. However the company reserves the right to rely on information provided by the OH report if a conflict cannot be resolved.