Special Circumstances and Medical Certificates
- Reporting Medical Circumstances
- Reporting Non-Medical Circumstances
- Discontinuation of Studies on Health Grounds
Reporting Medical Circumstances
Special Circumstances Form
Students should complete a Special Circumstances Form to report medical circumstances (sickness, injury, surgery/hospitalization etc.) which have resulted in a period of short or longer term absence and/or which have affected performance or examinations/assessment. The Special Circumstances Form replaces the use of the following University forms: "Student Medical Self-Certificate"; and "Student Sickness Absence Report Form" (these forms should no longer be used).
Detailed guidance about the use and completion of the Special Circumstances Form, along with information about any additional supporting medical evidence/notes that may be required (e.g. from the University Health Service, a student's own NHS doctor etc.) is available on the SSiD website along with a downloadable copy of the form.
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Circulation of Special Circumstances Forms/Medical Certificates
(this section does not apply to students in the Faculty of Medicine who are studying in a single school)
Copies of completed Special Circumstances Forms and any medical certificates/notes should be forwarded by departments to the Taught Programmes Office. All Special Circumstances Forms and any medical certificates/notes which are received by Student Services are circulated as soon as possible to all those departments in which the relevant student is currently studying (i.e. not only the co-ordinating department for their programme of study) so that the details may be noted as appropriate in departmental records. The receipt of Special Circumstances Forms and medical certificates by Student Services (though not any details of the medical circumstances) is also flagged on the student´s computer record.
If you receive medical certificates/notes direct within your department (i.e. apparently not via a Student Services circulation) you are asked to check with the Taught Programmes Office that a copy has also been received centrally and that other relevant departments have been notified.
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Reporting Non-Medical Circumstances
Students should complete a Special Circumstances Form to report any non-medical personal circumstances which have resulted in a period of absence and/or which have affected performance or examinations/assessment. Examples include: personal/family problems, difficult events (e.g. bereavement), serious incidents (e.g. being affected by crime). However, if any absence is likely to be prolonged, i.e. last for several weeks or months, students should be strongly advised to apply for an official Leave of Absence.
Detailed guidance about the use and completion of the Special Circumstances Form, along with information about any additional supporting evidence that may be required is available on the SSiD website along with a downloadable copy of the form.
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Discontinuation of Studies on Health Grounds
The University´s General Regulations give Faculties the power to require a student to discontinue their studies, either temporarily or permanently, on health grounds. Given that this requirement is only necessary in a very few exceptional cases, you are asked to consult with the Taught Programmes Office before attempting to make use of the relevant Regulation. Guidance on its implementation has been agreed by the University Council.
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