Employee Occupational Health Referral Guide
The purpose of this guide is to let you know what you might expect after having been referred for an Occupational Health appointment. The circumstances of your referral may be that you and/or your department are concerned about your health in some way. This includes how your health affects, or may in the future, affect your attendance at work or your ability to carry out your duties. This may include seeing you on return from a prolonged absence, to see what assistance, if any, may be required to help your return to work.
What to expect:
As a part of the referral process the Occupational Health Service will ask some specific questions, which are detailed on the referral form that is completed by your line manager or HR Adviser. The referral may also include other documentation e.g. Job Description. Your manager will also have asked you to sign a consent form, which is your consent for a report to be generated by SOHS and disclosed to your manager.
The Occupational Health Adviser (OHA) may also ask you to sign a medical consent form, which is your consent for a report to be obtained from your own GP/Hospital Consultant. The consent you give is under the provisions of the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988. This report will enable the OHA to assist in planning your future medical management with regards to workplace issues.
All Occupational Health staff work under a professional code of confidentiality and no medical information will be disclosed without consent. Reports to management / HR consist of specific advice relating to the questions posed on the referral form and will be discussed with you during the appointment.
Who will you see?
You will see one of the OHA´s, who are all trained nurses with further qualifications and experience in Occupational Health. You may have been given an appointment to see a Doctor who also has qualifications in occupational medicine. We also have administrative support staff, who will meet you in the department and if required will arrange a further review appointment.
What happens during a referral meeting?
If you have been referred because of your absence from work, it would be normal that the first area for exploration is your absence and the reasons for it. This normally leads to discussion about your health problems and their effects and any treatment you are receiving.
The OH Adviser will then wish to relate these matters to your job to gain an understanding of how your health affects your ability to carry out your normal duties.
What happens next?
After the meeting a report will be produced detailing what was discussed and agreed during the meeting, which will be sent to your line manager / HR Adviser. This will contain advice regarding the nature and extent of your health issues in as far as they affect your ability to do your contractual duties. This may include:
- Specific advice about other agencies that could help
and/or specific suggestions about actions the University might consider to assist the situation - Phased return to work recommendations
If seen by the OHA, he/she may recommend that you see the Doctor, or that follow-up appointments would be useful.
Once your line manager has received the report from SOHS it would be normal for this to be discussed with you, so that any actions by you or your department can be agreed and implemented.
The aim of the process is to better understand any health issues you may have which are having a detrimental affect on your ability to do your job, and to consider, with expert medical advice, what actions both you and your employer should take.
Why might you need to refer yourself?
You may have been ill but not absent, and are struggling with some aspects of your job. The Occupational Health Adviser can discuss a plan of modified duties to help you through your current illness.
You have some work-related issues which are now beginning to affect your health and would like to discuss this before your symptoms worsen.
How do I get a referral for myself?
You can approach your manager with the reason for your referral, they will then discuss the details of why you want to be referred and pass this referral onto the relevant HR Adviser.
You can telephone the department directly and arrange to speak to one of the Occupational Health Advisers. You can also email a member of the SOHS.
For all referrals:
Following arrangement of the appointment you will receive a letter confirming the details. If you find you are unable to attend please inform the department as soon as possible, Tel. (011422) 21479.
April 2007