What to expect

 

We hope that the following information may help you prepare for your Occupational Health Referral appointment and feel relaxed about coming to see us. If you have any questions, please call us on 01225 809099

What should I bring to the appointment?

Please bring:

• Your copy of the referral
• Details of any medication you are taking or a copy of your prescription
• Any relevant medical reports/correspondence, especially from your Specialists/GP

What is an Occupational Health Referral?

Your manager or your HR Advisor will have informed you about a referral to Occupational Health. A referral form will have been completed outlining your job role and the reasons for the referral, for example your health may be affecting attendance or performance at work, or your work may be affecting an existing health problem. This form should have been discussed with you and a copy given to you, it would be helpful if you could have this referral with you for the OH appointment.

Please check that the referral contains your correct name, date of birth, personal email address, contact telephone number and postal address.

An Occupational Health Doctor or Nurse Advisor will discuss your health and its impact on your role at work, please discuss any concerns you might have about work and your health. The purpose of the consultation is to provide your employer with a report that is independent, impartial and a constructive opinion on your fitness to do your job.

 Who will I see?

Your appointment will either be with an Occupational Health Doctor or a Nurse Advisor who will check through the details on the referral form, ask about your health and discuss your role and activities at work.

Our doctors and nurse advisors are experienced health professionals with specialist qualifications in Occupational Health; their specialism is the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in the workplace.

 How long will the appointment last?

An average appointment lasts between 30 to 45 minutes but may last up to one hour.

 Face to face appointment

St Margaret’s Surgery is approximately 200 metres along Bridge Street in Bradford on Avon. There is a car park attached to the surgery and additional parking in the Library and on the street. Once parked, make your way to the side door of the surgery, not the main Reception, and press the bell marked Workplace Wellness.

Bradford on Avon train station is a 5-minute walk from the surgery and has a large car park.

You will be asked to sign a consent form for release of the report. You are entitled to have a copy of the report, we can email the report to you for checking prior to you giving consent for its release to your employer.

 Will there be a medical examination?

Occupational Health are not seeing you to make a diagnosis however, depending on the nature of your health issue it may be helpful to assess mobility or function by checking a range of physical movements. If you would like a chaperone, please contact us before the appointment so we can arrange this.

 Telephone consultation appointments

If you are having a telephone appointment, please double check that the contact number listed on your referral letter is correct. If it is not, please contact us immediately with the correct details.

Please make yourself available at least 5 minutes before the appointment time and for up to 15 minutes after the planned appointment time in case of unavoidable delays.

It is advisable to ensure that you are in a quiet, private environment where you feel comfortable to talk on the telephone about confidential matters and where you will not be disturbed for the duration of the telephone appointment (30 – 45 minutes).

You will be asked to state your full name, date of birth, and address so that we can verify your identity.

We will ask your consent for the release of the report to your employer. If you have concerns about the report, we can email this to you to check over and then give consent.

 Video consultation appointments

If you are having a video consultation your computer or laptop will need to have a camera. Prior to the appointment date and time you will receive a link via your personal email; about 5 minutes before your appointment is due to start, click into the link to join the video.

Workplace Wellness uses a secure, encrypted platform (Starleaf) so you can be assured that your consultation is private and secure.

Please make yourself available at least 5 minutes before the appointment time and for up to 15 minutes after the planned appointment time in case of unavoidable delays.

It is advisable to ensure that you are in a quiet, private environment where you feel comfortable to talk on the telephone about confidential matters and where you will not be disturbed for the duration of the telephone appointment (30 – 45 minutes).

You will be asked to state your full name, date of birth, and address so that we can verify your identity.

We will ask your consent for the release of the report to your employer. You are entitled to have a copy of the report, we can email the report to you for checking prior to you giving consent for its release to your employer.

Do I have to attend the appointment?

You do have the right to decline the appointment. In these circumstances any management decisions subsequently made by your employer will be without the benefit of an independent medical report.

You will need to inform your employer as soon as possible as any unattended appointments and appointments cancelled less than 48 hours before hand will still be charged for.

Communication

If you require an interpreter or translator, please arrange this beforehand; they will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

What about confidentiality?

Occupational Health Doctors and Nurse Advisors work within codes of conduct that ensure that confidential information about you is not divulged without your consent. Furthermore, GDPR, the Data Protection Act and the Access to Medical Reports Act affords you additional protection to ensure that any medical or personal information is not shared with anyone outside of Occupational Health.

What will the report include?

Depending on the nature of the referral the report may include some of the following:

• Whether you have a medical problem which may affect your performance or attendance
• When you may be able to return to work
• Recommendations for a phased return or recommendations regarding other reasonable workplace adjustments
• A response to any questions raised by your employer in the referral form
• A professional opinion as to whether the Equality Act might apply to your circumstances. However, this is an opinion only, the conclusion remains a legal/employment decision, not a medical one.
• The OH Doctor or Nurse Advisor will express their professional opinion and present recommendations based on facts and findings. Any recommendations or guidance given is advisory It is for the employer/ management to determine the feasibility of the recommendations in terms of the operational and business needs of the organisation.
• The role of Occupational Health is to guide management through a medical condition, its impact on work and to advise on the functional capability of an individual to carry out their role and what adjustments may help support the employee in the workplace. Occupational Health gives guidance and advice only. Our recommendations and advice are based on our opinion, it is for the employer to consider whether our suggestions are reasonable and practical to implement for the business and its organisation

Consent to release the Occupational Health Report

The Occupational Health doctor/nurse advisor will discuss with you what is to be included in the report and obtain your, informed consent to either:

• Release the report to the employer straightaway
• Release the report to you at the same time as the employer
• Release the report to you first, giving you an opportunity to request any factual amendments. Please note that requests to alter opinion will not be made
• We respectfully request that you give your express consent to release the report after 2 working days for reports sent by email and after 5 working days for reports sent by post
• Consent can be withheld however any management decisions subsequently made by your employer will be without the benefit of an independent medical report

Important Notice

Reports will be sent via email where possible using a Personal Email Address, unless we are specifically informed that your work email address can be used. 

Please check junk/spam folders, if you have not heard from us following your appointment within 2 working days – please contact us. 

 Consent to obtain a GP/Specialist report

If Occupational Health considers it beneficial to obtain a medical report, they will discuss this with you and request a separate form of consent from you under the Access to Medical Reports Act.