I was diagnosed with vasospastic angina in August this year after seven years of symptoms. So far it responds to GTN spray, although sometimes I have to use it three times.
The last three weeks have been very stressful at work and last week I had two episodes actually in the office. Neither was particularly severe and I was OK afterwards, just wobbly from the GTN.
My manager has panicked a bit and has now referred me to Occupational Health. I have an appointment next week. I had expected to see a doctor, but my appointment is with 'an occupational health practitioner'.
Has anybody else been through this process? What can I expect to get out of it? Anything, or is it all about the employer?
Thanks
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Ansteynomad
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Hi, some employers do use OH to try and say you cant do your job but OH should be advising them how to support you when you are ill. This could be for them to reduce the stress in your job or take a break when your angina affects you. Good OH should be looking after you not your employer.
You are covered by the Equality Act as you have a long term health condition. I would ask to discuss reasonable adjustments to your working environment and conditions are made.
OH can and will ask your manager to do a formal risk assessment too. This is important as this is the way your employers can support you at work with a disability.
If you are not a member of a trade union or professional body Citizens Advice are a good source of help.
I would suggest you talk to your GP and Cardiologist it maybe time review for your medication would help too.
That’s helpful. I needed to know I am covered by the Equality Act. I don’t think there are any adjustments to be made. It’s office work, but a risk assessment might be useful. I know my manager is worried about what to do if I have another episode at work.
I do belong to a union, have been discharged by Cardiology and haven’t seen my GP since diagnosis in August. I do need to book a telephone appointment to get another GTN spray.
Hi I was diagnosed in May with microvascular spasms/angina and the cardiologist signed me off as well saying I had a good prognosis! He was happy for me to stay on aspirin and a statin but my GP has kept me on Isosorbide as well and I carry a gtn spray everywhere!
Hi, i worked for the NHS for eighteen years and ended up being finished on the grounds of ill health due to heart condition. during the last year i was off sick for nine months and attended occi health several times. First i saw the nurse practitioner then the Doctor, may i add they where very supportive to me during this time. Eventually inevitably it became a matter for Human resources and to cut a long story short i had to agree to take retirement, fortunately i only had six months to go. i am sure that if at all possible both occi health and HR will do everything they can to help after all they do have a duty of care. Hope this has been some help to you, all the very best for the future.
Thanks for your input. I went along this afternoon.
Clearly, vasospasm is so unpredictable that there are no reasonable adjustments that can be put in place to try to avoid my having an attack. My hope was that any time I had to take off because of it would be covered by the Equality Act and not counted for sickness absence purposes.
The response was that I wouldn’t be covered by the Equality Act because I haven’t had the diagnosis long enough, but I might be covered in the future if I had had the diagnosis longer than 12 months!
I am soory that the meeting with OH was a mixed result!
Have you read the Act?
I suggest you talk to CitzensAdvice or your trade union.
They made some adjustments for me such keeping the room I worked in warm and alter my tyoe of work.
What they didn't do was my risk assessment.
In the end I had to retire early whole other story but I got my pension. My job was too stressful and not compatible with CAS and MVA. I have pain everyday.
I kept going into hospital and took too much time off.
I will talk to the Union next week. I think this woman is wrong. They can’t change anything for me except majorly reduce stress caused by bad management, but I don’t think the levels of stress involved are compatible with my continuing even medium term, and they can’t fix those without a major change of personnel!
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