Occupational Health (OH) is a specialist branch of healthcare concerned with the effects of work upon health and the effects of health upon work. OH can advise on issues such as fitness for work, sickness absence, disability, ill-health retirement, health promotion, or indeed any health and work issue.

An OH assessment provides independent, impartial advice to you and Falkirk Council as your employer about your health and work. The aim of the assessment is to provide both you and your employer with impartial advice on how best to support you to remain at work or achieve a return to work following a period of absence due to health issues. The assessment may be performed by an OH Adviser (a nurse trained in OH) or an Occupational Physician (a doctor trained in occupational medicine).

Your line manager will usually have referred you for the OH assessment. The benefit of attending the OH assessment is that it allows you to discuss your medical history with an OH professional, and how it impacts on your work. The OH professional can review with you all the circumstances relating to your referral, thereby providing your manager and you with fair and objective advice about your health and fitness for work, both in the short and longer-term.

Yes. You are expected to comply with a management referral and attend OH, but we can only conduct the assessment with your consent. It is important to understand that it is usually very much in an employee's interest to participate in an OH assessment. If you do not attend an assessment, Falkirk Council will have to make decisions about your employment without the benefit of any health advice. The reason for the referral will be fully discussed with you prior to being made.

If you are unhappy about why you have been referred, or if you don’t wish to attend, then you should discuss this further with your manager. You must also advise OH as soon as possible if, for whatever reason, you are unable to attend your appointment. Our contact details are at the foot of this guidance.

Your consultation is likely to last around 30 – 60 minutes. The OH professional will ensure that you understand the purpose of the assessment and his/her role in providing independent, impartial advice. Your consent will be sought for the assessment to proceed and for an OH report to be sent to your manager.

The OH professional will provide a report to the referring manager about your health and work. This is likely to include advice about your fitness for work and any workplace adjustments that might help you. The aim is to help you and your employer to protect your health at work. Clinical information is kept to a minimum to maintain medical confidentiality. Consent is required at each step of the consultation including what medical information is contained in the report, this will be discussed fully with you at the consultation.

Yes, you can, in several ways. It is important that the OH report contains "no surprises" for you.

At the end of your assessment, the Occupational Health Advisor (Nurse) or Occupational Health Physician (Doctor) will discuss the contents of the report with you and obtain your verbal consent before the report is shared with your manager and/or Human Resources.

If your consultation is with the Occupational Health Physician you also have the option to request prior sight of your report. We will send you a copy of the report before it is sent to your manager for you to view. You can advise us of any factual inaccuracies. In summary the following options are available to you.

1. You can elect not to receive a copy of the OH report.
2. You can elect to have a copy of the report at the same time that it is sent to your manager.
3. You can elect to have a copy of the report a few days before it is sent to your manager.

We will also outline these options at the end of your assessment.

Doctors and Nurses are not able to change their professional opinion in a report. They can only make changes to a report to correct a factual inaccuracy; e.g. if we have made an error regarding your DOB or job title. If you identify a factual error that you want us to correct, you should contact us as soon as possible. If you do so within a few days we will be able to amend the error before the report is sent to your employer, sending you a revised copy. Any comments you send us will be placed on your confidential file. Finally, don't forget that if you have any queries or comments, as a result of the OH report, the best thing is to raise these with your manager; this is often a very useful step for employees.

Your OH records are maintained to the same high standard of confidentiality as hospital or GP records, in accordance with the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998. Your OH record will not be disclosed to anyone else outside of OH without your consent.

Will There Be Any Need for you to contact my GP Or Hospital Specialist? Occasionally the OH professional will seek (with your written consent) a medical report from your GP or hospital specialist. This is usually necessary if the OH professional requires further clinical information about your health, (e.g. information regarding your diagnosis, results of investigations, treatment, prognosis etc.) prior to advising you/your manager. The process is subject to the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988.

This gives you certain rights (including a right to see your doctor's report, if you wish, before it is sent to us).

Under some circumstances the OH professional may write to your GP, with your consent, giving information about the outcome of your assessment. This can be particularly helpful to you where there are clinical findings or work arrangements that the OH professional believes your GP should be informed of.

Most appointments will be online but if a face to face appointment is required you should bring the following:

• Confirmation of your appointment – this will most likely by via SMS message
• Proof of your identity; your Falkirk Council ID pass will do
• Any medication or a list of medications that you have been taking
• Glasses and/or contact lenses, if worn, with a copy of your prescription dated within the last 2 years if you are attending a medical examination for Health Surveillance purposes.
• Any other medical information that you think may be relevant to your assessment.