Occupational Health Requirements

1. Download the Occupational Health Questionnaire (Word).
2. Complete applicant sections of the form (pages 1-6).
3. Pass your occupational health form to your GP to complete pages 7-9. Your GP/doctor must sign and stamp the GP/doctor report form for it to be valid.
4. Make a copy of the completed form to retain for your records.
5. Email both parts of the Occupational Health form (applicant and GP sections) to the Occupational Health department on health.questionnaire@stgeorges.nhs.uk by 31 July 2020.
6. Helpful tips for submitting your form:
7. - Please send PDF documents where possible
8. - Ensure your documents are not upside down
9. - If your documents are large, compress them before sending (you will recieve an undeliverable message if the file size is too big)
10. - Copy yourself into the email so you have evidence of your submission
11. Keep an eye on your inbox for emails regarding your occupational health status. Once your occupational health check has been passed, your applicant portal will update to reflect this. Please note, there is sometimes a delay whilst we update the system, so we appreciate your patience.

The following vaccinations are mandatory for all healthcare students before you begin your studies:

• MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
• Meningococcal meningitis
• Diphtheria
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Poliomyelitis
• Tetanus.

If you do not have any of the vaccinations listed above, please contact your GP to arrange for these as soon as possible.

Screening for Chickenpox, Tuberculosis, HIV and Hepatitis B and C will be carried out by St George’s Occupational Health team when you begin your degree.

Decisions about fitness to study and practise are made by the Occupational Health department during an appointment. The Occupational Health team can discuss any concerns you might have during the application process and can be contacted directly on +44(0)20 8725 1661 or by email.

If you suffer, or have suffered, from a serious illness (physical or psychological) or have a disability, or are currently required to shield due to Covid-19, please let us know. St George’s is committed to supporting our students and will explore all reasonable adjustments to support you to thrive on your course.

Please contact our Disability Advisor as soon as possible with details to help us establish whether your health history or disability is likely to affect your ability to study or practise. This will also give us sufficient time to carry out a detailed assessment, obtain reports and organise additional expert assessments if required.

We understand that the outbreak of Covid-19 may impact on your ability to complete the Occupational Health requirement. Below is an outline of the things in place to try to make this process as simple as possible during this uncertain time.

• Most GP surgeries are now equipped with software to allow for remote consultations. We encourage you to use this service if possible rather than attending a face-to-face appointment. The GP sections of the Occupational Health form can usually be completed without you present, so you may be able to conduct the whole task via email. Please speak to your GP surgery about how they would like to you proceed whilst minimising contact with others.
• The Occupational Health department at St George’s is also able to offer remote meetings with our offer holders. Not all offer holders will require a meeting with Occupational Health, but a small proportion will be asked to attend a remote meeting in order to discuss Occupational Health’s recommended support.

If you are shielding due to Covid-19, please contact our Disability Advisor as soon as possible so we can work with you to ensure you can thrive on your course.

We suggest you submit your occupational health form as soon as possible. The deadline for forms to be received is 31 July 2020.

Costs for the occupational health check varies depending on how many additional vaccines you may need, and how much the GP charges for completion of the form. You are responsible for meeting all of the costs associated with this check.

Please continue to chase your GP for the information you require as it remains your responsibility to ensure a completed form is submitted, and failure to do so may mean you are not issued an unconditional offer, or allowed to enrol.  If the deadline is approaching, you are advised to email Admissions to discuss your situation.

If you live in a country where General Practitioners are not available, the GP section of the form can be completed by a family doctor, or equivalent, or any physician who has provided treatment to you in the past. They will need to have access to your medical records to complete the questions we have in the GP section of the Occupational Health form. If you are from the UK, you will need to register with a GP in order to have the form completed. If you are still unsure, please contact our Occupational Health department who will consider your individual circumstances.

If you are unable to obtain one of the required vaccines, the Occupational Health department may be able to administer the required dose for you. Please submit the form with notes about vaccines you’ve been unable to obtain and the Occupational health department will be in touch to discuss this. Please be aware that it remains your responsibility to obtain the relevant vaccines so relying on the Occupational Health department should be considered a last resort. Further advice can be found by contacting the Occupational Health department directly on on +44(0)20 8725 1661 or by email. 

Deferred from 2019, to enrol in 2020

If you have deferred entry and are due to start your course in 2020, you may not need to complete another occupational health check. If you submitted and passed an occupational health check last year, and nothing has changed in the past year, you can request an Occupational Health Declaration for Deferred Offer Holders from the Admissions team. If you did not submit, or pass, an occupational health check last year, or if something health-related has changed in the last year, please complete your occupational helath check as detailed above.

Deferred from 2020, to enrol in 2021

If you have deferred your offer and are due to start your course in 2021, please still complete your occupational health check as detailed above, as this is a condition of your offer. In 2021, you will be able to complete a declaration form if there have been no changes to your health.

All applicants must complete an occupational health check by the deadline, but you might be able to submit all of the required information via a nominated representative. The GP report can often be completed without you present, so a relative or trusted friend could complete your sections, and complete the GP report on your behalf. It remains your responsibility to meet this requirement, and without an occupational health submission, you may not be issued an unconditional offer, or allowed to enrol.