Occupational Health

Purpose of an Occupational Health Referral

The purpose of an Occupational Health Referral is to establish an independent view on an employee’s medical fitness for the job in which he/she is employed, or for a job to which they may potentially be employed.

In addition, the employer may need to seek independent medical guidance in relation to staff support, staff adjustments and/or rehabilitation programmes including circumstances where an employee may have a disability and requires specific support.

The manager may require information from the Occupational Health specialist as a proactive step in supporting their employees to remain in work or where an employee is absent and requires additional support to return to work.

In all cases, guidance from the Health, Wellbeing and Attendance team is provided to support next steps.

When to make an Occupational Health Referral

A referral to Occupational Health should only be made when there is a clear purpose to do so. An employee may be referred for an Occupational Health Assessment in the following circumstances (this list is not exhaustive):

When absences in a rolling 12-month period give cause for concern and as a line manager you wish to establish if there is an underlying medical condition which may be causing the absence;
When a member of staff has been on prolonged continuous absence (in excess of 4 weeks) and there is no prospect of return to work;
When an absence period has become more protracted than anticipated;
When there is significant concern about a staff members health and/or wellbeing;
When a member of staff has been on prolonged sickness absence and wishes to return on a temporary part-time or alternative working pattern for medical reasons;
To provide support linked to disability or possible disability;
To seek advice on rehabilitation/reasonable adjustments required;
In accordance with the relevant procedures relating to Termination of Employment on the Grounds of Ill Health or Capability/Capacity;

Please note: Where work related stress is cited as the reason for absence, a referral to Occupational Health is not the most appropriate course of action. The first course of action is for the line manager to write to the staff member to invite them to a meeting to explore the work-related stressors. Further advice on managing absence related to work-related stress can be found in the Managing Attendance Toolkit. Please contact the Health, Wellbeing and Attendance team at attendance@eani.org.uk for further guidance.

Occupational Health Referral Process

It is the Principal/line managers role to initiate an Occupational Health Referral when it is appropriate to do so. The Chair of Governors can perform this duty for Principal referrals.

The Principal/line manager should inform the staff member of the decision to make an Occupational Health Referral. The Principal/line manager should inform the staff member of the content of the Occupational Health Referral. When an Occupational Health Referral has been submitted, the staff member will receive the appointment details directly by email.

For guidance on when an Occupational Health referral may be an appropriate course of action, please contact the Health, Wellbeing and Attendance Team on attendance@eani.org.uk or contact the HR Helpdesk on 028 9047 0555.

How to arrange an Occupational Health Referral

To make an Occupational Health Referral, follow the below steps:

Firstly you will need to register an account on the myOHportal.
To create a referral log onto myOHportal, from the home screen select ‘Make a Referral’.
Select the ‘Performance & Attendance Management' and select ‘Submit’.
Select the ‘Service’ Required e.g. Management referral Face-to-Face Select ‘Next’.
If the employee has been previously referred on myOHportal - ‘Search’ for the employee by name. If the employee has NOT been referred before on myOHportal you will need to select ‘Add Employee’.
Add all the information required.
Add any ‘Other Health Related Questions’ you require advice on within the report. Managers are permitted to ask up to 3 questions within the referral process. These are vital to ensure you get the advice you require.
Save and submit the referral.

myOHportal

For issues relating to the OH referral process and/or the Occupational Health report, please contact Optima Health on educationauthority@optimahealth.co.uk or telephone 03300 089437.

How to Complete the Occupational Health Referral

In order to receive a meaningful report, it is important that the Principal/line manager provides as much relevant, factual detail about the case in the background and history section of the referral form. Any additional relevant background information can be uploaded where necessary. The referral should contain factual information only and should never include the Principal/line managers opinion.

A recent review into the Occupational Health process identified the quality of Principal/line manager referrals across EA as an area for improvement. This was often as a result of limited information being passed to the Occupational Health Clinician e.g. support arrangements already in place and specific questions being highlighted for medical opinion.

It is important that all information submitted in the Occupational Health referral is factual and has already been discussed with the staff member.

A good Occupational Health referral background and history section will include:

Job Details

Current Working Hours /Shift Pattern
Contract type (FT/PT)
High level job summary or job descriptions including any relevant duties e.g. manual handling, sitting, standing, driving

Please note OH will have a library of job descriptions for common roles e.g. Teacher, Classroom Assistant, Driver, Catering and Cleaning. If in doubt upload a job description where easily available.

Reason for Referral

Nature of concerns
If applicable – make it clear that this referral is part of an ill health termination procedure.

Case History

Overview of Recent Case History
Sickness Absence Dates and Duration
Previous OH Assessments and action taken.

Medical Information – if applicable

GP/ Specialist Reports
Current diagnosis (if known)
Current treatment /therapies
Medications

Support already in place – if applicable

Adjustments/modified duties already in place
Any wellbeing interventions provided or ongoing (e.g. counselling if known)

Additional context – if applicable

Any awareness of workplace stressors/issues
Any perceived Health & Safety hazards/risks

Occupational Health referrals are considered to be sensitive information under GDPR and should be treated accordingly. In addition, managers should be aware that an employee can request a copy of the completed referral form.

Occupational Health Report and Next Steps

In the majority of cases a copy of the report should be available within 7 working days of the date of when the staff member attended for assessment.

The report will be used primarily to provide up to date medical information and a medical opinion on one or more of the following;

Fitness for work;
Likely return to full health;
Clarification of whether an employee has a disability;
Providing management with further information regarding absence;
Arrangements for return to work e.g. identifying any requirements for reasonable adjustments; and/or
To advise on whether ill health termination should be considered.

The report will inform on any actions or decisions which may need to be taken going forward.

The information obtained will be kept securely as well as remain confidential. A report will be shared only with the HR officers involved and Principals/line managers as standard. Once the report has been shared, the Principal/line manager should contact the staff member immediately to discuss next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

If Occupational Health says the employee is fit to return to work but their GP says they are not what action should I take?

The advice provided by the Occupational Health specialist clinician takes precedence over that of a GP (compliant with legal and BMA guidelines). In this case they should be supported back to work.

The Health, Wellbeing and Attendance Team can be contacted for further guidance on attendance@eani.org.uk or contact the HR Helpdesk on 028 9047 0555.

Can someone return to work before their OH appointment?

Where there are no serious concerns or risks for the individual or others, and subject to appropriate notice, a return to work for the staff member can be discussed and agreed with the Principal/line manager.

In some cases, where there may be concerns, the Health, Wellbeing and Attendance team can be contacted for further guidance attendance@eani.org.uk or contact the HR Helpdesk on 028 9047 0555.

Is it compulsory to attend an Occupational Health appointment?

There is a contractual responsibility on all employees to fulfil the terms and conditions of their contract of employment by providing acceptable and sustained attendance and alerting their employer if there are any difficulties that may prevent them from performing their duties.

The Health and Safety at Work regulations require an employer to exercise a duty of care to all employees to ensure a safe system and place of work and to undertake any risk assessments as appropriate. Disability Discrimination legislation requires employers to consider any reasonable adjustments in cases where a disability has been indicated, in order to enable an employee with a disability to work to their full potential. An employee should attend a medical assessment by an Occupational Health Clinician, if requested by the Referrer.

It is considered a reasonable management instruction to attend these appointments and to follow what is being requested of them by their manager. Refusal to attend could be construed as failing to comply with a reasonable instruction. Where an employee fails to engage in this process, then the employer may be forced to make decisions based on the information they hold. This may result in employment decisions being made without the benefit of available mitigating evidence.

Once arranged, attendance at the appointment is important. Failure to attend without reasonable cause and notice may result in the costs associated with the referral being the responsibility of the employee. Repeated failure to attend arranged Occupational Health appointments without reasonable cause and notice may result in disciplinary action.