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Instructions

All students on clinical courses are required to complete a health clearance and be declared fit to study and practise by the Occupational Health (OH) department (part of St George's Trust) before you can start at St George’s, University of London.

There are two stages of the Occupational Health check that need completing:

  • Stage 1: Occupational Health Registration form - completed via Microsoft Forms (below).

  • Stage 2: Occupational Health Questionnaire  - completed via the Cohort software (a further link will be sent to you after stage 1)

Both stages of the Occupational Health check must be submitted by 15th July 2024.

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Step-by-step instructions

Step-by-step guide to the occupational health check

1. 

Complete the Occupational Health Registration form.

This form alerts the Occupational Health department at St George's Trust that you need to complete an Occupational Health check. 

2.

Download the GP Report and give it to your GP for them to complete. Request a copy of your immunisation report at the same time. We would strongly encourage that you pass the GP report onto your GP as soon as possible to avoid delays. 

Please note, you are responsible for covering all costs associated with the fitness to practise requirements of the course.

Your GP/doctor must sign and stamp the GP Report for it to be valid.

3.

Gather all relevant reports relating to your health. This includes:

  • completed GP Report (step 2)
  • an immunisation report (requested from your GP in step 2)
  • Specialist reports, if applicable (for example, for dyslexia)

Any other relevant reports relating to your health.

The GP Report is mandatory and you will not be able to submit the Occupational Health Questionnaire without one.

4.

Receive a link to complete the full Occupational Health Questionnaire.

This link will be emailed to you by the St George's Hospital's Occupational Health team. The team will endeavour to send you this link up to two weeks after receiving the Occupational Health Registration form. Please check your inbox and junk folders regularly.

Please log in to the Cohort portal within 30 days of receiving the email from the St George's Hospital Occupational Health team. If you are unable to access the Cohort portal, please email health.questionnaire@stgeorges.nhs.uk

5.

Complete the Occupational Health Questionnaire by 15 July 2024.

Within this questionnaire, you will be asked to complete a series of questions about your health and immunisation record. You will also be asked to upload any relevant documents, including mandatory GP report, in order to submit your questionnaire. You may not receive an email confirming your submission, so you may want to take a screen shot in case you need to evidence your submission later.

6.

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.

Helpful tips for submitting your OH form

Helpful tips for completing your Occupational Health check:

  • Complete the Occupational Health Registration form (step 1) as soon as you are invited to start your Occupational Health check.

  • Start the Occupational Health Questionnaire (step 4) as soon as you receive a link to the Cohort software. Do not delay starting the process as the process can take time. 

  • Make contact with your GP as soon as possible so they are aware they are required to complete a form for you. They can work on this form whilst you are awaiting the link to the Occupational Health Questionnaire. 

  • If you have any questions, email health.questionnaire@stgeorges.nhs.uk to speak to a member of the St George's Trust's Occupational Health department.

Mandatory vaccinations

The following vaccinations are mandatory for all students on clinical courses before you begin your studies:

  • BCG
  • Hepatitis B

  • Meningococcal meningitis

  • MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
  • Pertussis (whooping cough)

If you do not have any of the vaccinations listed above, please contact your GP to arrange for these as soon as possible. Further information can be found in the FAQs below. 

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.

For offer holders Medicine MBBS (all lengths), Paramedic Science BSc, and Physician Associate Studies only:

When you begin your degree (after enrolment), the Occupational Health department will take a blood test (ID-validated sample) to screen for HIV and Hepatitis C to ensure you are able to work in an EPP (Exposure Prone Procedure) environment. If this screening returns a positive result, Occupational Health will provide guidance to support you to continue on your course. You are not required to obtain this screening before enrolment.

Offer holders with pre-existing illnesses or disabilities

 We want to make sure we can support you through your studies.

If you suffer or have suffered from a serious illness (physical or psychological), or have a disability or specific learning difficulty, 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.

There are very few reasons why someone cannot study with us, but occasionally our Disability Advisor or a member of the St George's Trust's Occupational Health department may advise that an applicant is not fit to study immediately which could result in a deferral or a withdrawal. 

Frequently asked questions

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Do I need to submit an Occupational Health check?

You will need to compete an Occupational Health check (and your DBS check) as part of your fitness to practise requirements if you are holding a firm offer to study one of the courses below.

Undergraduate

Diagnostic Radiography BSc

Healthcare Science BSc

Medicine MBBS

Medicine, Graduate Entry MBBS

Occupational Therapy BSc

Paramedic Science BSc

Physiotherapy BSc

Radiotherapy and Oncology BSc

Postgraduate

Occupational Therapy MSc (pre-registration)

Physician Associate Studies MPAS

Physiotherapy MSc (pre-registration)

Why do I need to submit an Occupational Health check as part of my fitness to practise conditions?

When admitting students to study and practise on healthcare courses, St George’s has an obligation to provide a safe environment for both the patients that you will encounter and to you as a student. In order to do this, we require all healthcare students to complete our fitness to practise requirements, which consist of an occupational health check, and a DBS check.

Completing your fitness to practise requirements is an important part of preparing to study at St George’s. You may not receive an unconditional offer or enrol if you have not completed both requirements.

When should I submit my Occupational Health check?

We suggest you submit your Occupational Health Questionnaire check as soon as possible. For most offer holders, the deadline for forms to be received is 15 July 2024. The assessment of your form will then take place before enrolment.

How much does an Occupational Health check cost?

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.

If you have qualified under our Contextual Admissions schemes, you may be eligible for a Fitness to Practise bursary to assist with these costs. 

I am having trouble obtaining information from my GP. What should I do?

Please continue to chase your GP for the information you require as it remains your responsibility to ensure a completed GP Report and additional documents are submitted. 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. We may be able to issue a letter to your GP that will assist with your request.

I am from outside of the UK where we do not have GPs (General Practitioners). What should I do about the GP Report?

If you live in a country where General Practitioners are not available, the GP Report 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 Report.

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.

I am struggling to obtain all of vaccinations needed. What should I do?

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 your Occupational Health Questionnaire with as much information as possible; the Occupational Health department will then 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 St George's Trust's Occupational Health department directly by email

Do I need to do this check if I am deferred?

Deferred from 2023, to enrol in 2024

If you have deferred entry and are due to start your course in 2024, you may not need to complete another occupational health check. Please follow the instructions for Deferred Offer Holders.

Deferred from 2024, to enrol in 2025

If you have deferred your offer and are due to start your course in 2025, please still complete your occupational health check as detailed above, as this is a condition of your offer. In 2025, you will be able to complete a declaration form if there have been no changes to your health.

Do I need to be vaccinated against Covid-19?

We do not currently require you to have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

You will be asked to provide details of whether you have or haven’t been vaccinated against Covid-19 on your Occupational Health Questionnaire for our records.

Potential changes to Covid vaccination requirements 

We are guided by Government guidelines and therefore change our requirements in line with their advice. This means we will introduce a Covid-19 vaccination requirement before or at the start of your studies if mandated by the Government.

I am on holiday, what should I do?

All applicants must complete an Occupational Health check by the deadline, but you might be able to submit all of the required information remotely, or via a nominated representative. The GP Report can often be completed without you present, so a relative or trusted friend collect this from the GP 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.

Helpful tips

  • Keep your contact details up to date on UCAS track, or applicant portal if you’ve applied directly.

  • Avoid using a school, university or employer email address as your contact email address as you might lose access before enrolment.

  • Keep an eye on your email and check it regularly. This is how we generally keep in touch, so look out for any @sgul.ac.uk emails.

  • Remember to submit your DBS check too.

Contact us

Please feel free to contact us if you need any help. You can email us or call 0203 897 2222.

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