Occupational health

We have a confidential occupational health (OH) service that is designed to help you stay healthy at work. The service is run on our behalf by Innovate Healthcare.

If you or your manager have a concern about health or attendance at work, it's always best to talk about it right away. Talking about your concerns early will help you and your manager identify any support or adjustments that will help.

Your manager may suggest a referral to occupational health to support you for a range of reasons such as:

• an absence from work due to illness or injury
• to help support and manage long term sickness absence or frequent short term absences from work
• a work issue that is affecting your health
• a health issue which may be affecting your ability to do your job
• to consider any adjustments to help you at work
• to assess whether ill health retirement may be appropriate

Guidance for managers

There is guidance for managers on how to make an occupational health referral.

Step 1: Decide why an assessment is needed

Before seeking an assessment from occupational health (OH), it is important to be clear why the assessment is needed.

If you have concerns about work-related stress, you should speak with your manager about them before considering an occupational health referral. Your manager should:

• consider the guidance on managing stress in the workplace and complete a stress risk assessment
• address and try to resolve your concerns

If this is unsuccessful in managing your stress, a referral to occupational health may be appropriate. Your manager should upload a copy of the stress risk assessment with the referral.

Step 2: Discuss with your line manager

Your manager will discuss with you in confidence the reasons for referring you to occupational health and explain who will see the referral. There will be time to ask any questions.

You have the right to view the referral at the beginning of the assessment to understand why you are being referred and what advice your manager needs. There is more information about confidentiality in Innovate’s frequently asked questions.

Step 3: Give your consent

Once you understand the basis for the referral your manager will ask you to sign a occupational health consent form (PDF, 91.03 KB).

Your manager will keep a copy in a secure location and will upload a copy when they make the referral. You will only be assessed by occupational health if you give your consent. Occupational health will also ask for your consent at the start of the assessment.

Refusal of consent may affect your manager's ability to provide the right modifications or adjustments to support you in your role. If further clinical information is needed, occupational health will seek your consent to obtain specialist or GP reports. 

Your manager will discuss who else may require access to the occupational health report, such as a case worker in the People team. The People team cannot access it without your consent.

You should also be aware that members of the wellbeing team have access to occupational health referrals.  

Step 4: Your manager will arrange an appointment

Your manager will set up an appointment for you to meet an occupational health advisor. Before they do, they’ll ask you if there are any dates or times that you cannot attend.

If you cannot attend the agreed appointment, you should inform Innovate Healthcare as soon as possible. Your manager will be told about any changes to your appointments.

Step 5: Attend the appointment

Your occupational health appointment may be held remotely or in person. A trained advisor will discuss your employer's referral and assess your fitness for work. They will ask about your current and past medical history and may ask about any work or home issues where relevant.

It is useful to have your medication list and any medical letters which can provide medical information about your diagnosis and treatment for your assessment.

With your consent, occupational health will write a report detailing the relevant areas discussed and send it to the referring manager, with the aim of advising them on how they can support you. The report may include impartial advice on topics such as:

• recommendations to support a return to work or stay in work
• current fitness for work
• the impact of work on any disclosed health conditions

Once the report is complete, you can:

•  request a copy from your manager
• see a copy of the report at the same time as it is sent to your manager
• request a copy before it is sent to your manager

Occupational health cannot amend clinical judgement and reasoning. If requested, factual inaccuracies or information subject to revoked consent may be amended within the report.

If you ask that certain medical information is kept private, occupational health will not share it. However, in rare cases, confidentiality may be broken if there is a risk of harm to you or others, a child protection issue, or a life-threatening emergency.

Step 6: Receive the report and have a follow-up meeting with your manager

After you have given your consent, your manager will receive a copy of the occupational health report and arrange a follow-up meeting with you. They will discuss the report with you and any recommendations made. It is your manager’s role to decide whether and how to act on recommendations. If they decide not to act on any recommendations, they must explain why not.

At the meeting you may talk about:

• the accuracy of the report
• any recommendations made
• next steps, such as return to work, further review, adjustments, redeployment, and future meeting dates

Step 7: Review your wellbeing

Our health can change over time. The occupational health report may suggest a timescale for expected improvement, but if a person's health does not improve as expected, further review with occupational health may be needed.

Contact Innovative Healthcare

We work with occupational health to maintain high service standards. You can contact Innovative Healthcare with queries, complaints and compliments.

Post: 3rd Floor, Dale House, Tiviot Dale, Stockport, SK1 1TA

Telephone: 0161 527 7405

Email: oh@innovatehmg.co.uk

You can also contact the ECC wellbeing team: wellbeing@essex.gov.uk