Occupational Health

I have been referred by my employer to Occupational Health. What can I expect? Please can anyone share their experiences.

Many thanks

[JediReject]

Hi Mallard. You dont say what type of employment you do but when I worked in an office environ for what was back then a large employer we had Occ Health and Safety who dealt with 'special needs' of employees with a range of health issues such as Repetitive Strain Injury from continued keyboard use, Back problems requiring specialised chairs for maximum posturing, eyesight problems, wheelchair users etc. They were trained to do an audit of your workstation and suggest ways and provide equipment over and above what most workers needed to make their lives easier, reduce their discomfort and hopefully keep trained up experienced workers in the job and reduce sick leave. In the main I believe their role was a positive one aimed at helping people and the business to get the best outcome.

So that was my limited experience of their role but I think they did liaise with HR or Personnel as it was if somebody was at odds with management over performance issues linked to their health problem. Our Occ Health was on site but I suppose many will be outsourced to private providers now. Has your employer given you any clues as to why you're being referred.

Cheers

[Hidden]

Thanks Jedi, I work in a busy office for the NHS. My line manager said it was to see if they are doing all they can to support me. Is Occupational Health a doctor, do they examine you etc?

[Aime]

Hi Mallard, I work as a civilian member of the police force and have been referred a few times to Occup Health. I have always been given a copy of the referral and discussed it first with my Line Manager. He asked questions like was I fit to do the work I am employed to do, was I safe to drive, did it come under the Disability Discrimination Act, etc. I have always found the docs very pleasant and certainly "on my side" with regards to going back to work after ops. Everything has always been discussed with me first. I am due a referral soon to see how PV is affecting my work as it progresses. I certainly won't feel apprehensive about going again and they do keep info confidential as to exact medical details.

Hope this helps.

[KevinJH]

I've now seen two OH doctors through work - both were very pleasant and wanted to know anything and everything about events leading up to my being diagnosed with PV and how I was feeling at the time of the interviews. Both were, as expected, experts in their field and were very sympathetic to my condition and both were surgeons. One had never spoken to anyone with PV whilst the other had 'covered' MPD's shortly after qualifying back in the mid-70's (if memory serves, he mentioned something about "how barbaric the treatment seemed back then compared to nowadays"). Both seemed to be following the same pattern of questions and, comparing them now, they're almost identical but written about 12 months apart by different people. However, as Aime mentioned, both seemed to be "on my side" and said that if ever I felt the need to speak with them again about the PV to arrange it through my work place - which was very kind of them but in both cases I felt that given a choice I'd prefer to speak with a specialist in our field rather than that of a surgeon though I'm not sure if that is something one can specifically ask for. A not unpleasant experience though

[JediReject]

From memory I think we had a qualified nurse on site and I guess the aim was to keep it in- house and fairly low level but she had access to an external source if needed. From what our friends have said above it would seem your experience will be closely aligned to theirs if you're lucky and its more relevant than my past. I would certainly ask your line manager to fill in a few gaps for you as to the purpose of your referral. However it goes I wish you luck coz any appointment of this type puts you on edge. Please post up how you get on if you feel able.

[cheeks1]

Hi I work within the nhs and was referred there after my diagnoses. They didn't seem to know what to do with me as they have little understanding of these conditions, they are run by doctors and nurses. It's generally to see if any adjustments need to be made ie a change in shift pattern, work less nights.

[Hidden]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, they are much appreciated. A friend of mine has commented that I need to be careful because ultimately they are employed by your employer and I need to be careful how I word things such as I can't do that, because it could be deemed I am not up to the job and grounds for dismissal, I'm sure on this occassion that is not the case, however, we are in the middle of a restructure. I will definately feed back on my visit to Occ Health as I am sure these experiences will be useful to others who find themselves in a similar position.

Once again thank you for taking the time to reply.

[Val_P]

Hi Mallard. I work as a clinical manager for an NHS Trust. I have a diagnosis of ET and have had personal experience with our Occupational Health department. At one point they helped me reduce my working hours from 37.5 to 30 hours a week. They also arranged a graduated return to work when I was first diagnosed. They helped me move from a very stressful job as a ward manager on a very busy psychiatric admission ward to a much calmer and stress free environment managing a Memory clinic. I have found the OHD very helpful and supportive.

You have a long term condition which will at times effect your work. The OHD if you use them properly will help support you to continue working and help your manager understand your needs.

Like Cheek above says they are doctors & nurses but not speciallists in MPD's so it is up to you to educate them.

At the worst, If you do not feel well enough to do the job that you are currently doing and they cant redeploy you into a more suitable post (like they did with me), you could ask to be retired on ill health and providing if this is supported by your own doctor and OHD doctor, you would then retire with a full pension.

Dont be worried. They are not out to get you.

[Hidden]

Val thank you for sharing this with me you have put my mind at rest. I don't see how they could move me into a less stressful job as I really enjoy the role I am in and I manage it really well. Most of the time I am fine its just from time to time my platelets play up and I get totally exhausted juggling both. This is probably where OH support could come into play. I only have 5 years to my pension, ideally I'd like to continue working until then as that is when my mortgage is paid up. I couldn't afford to take early retirement before then. (mores the pity)

Cheers

[nicki2]

i had a brain op that went wrong and i am having jerks the company that i worked for has an occupational nurse after about 6 weeks of being off i got a letter from my personnel officer saying that i was to attend a meeting with her and the occupational nurse to find out how i was doing and what happened during surgery also she asked if i had any objection to getting in touch with my gp for a report as i had nothing to hide i signed the document i got no better i had few meetings but in the end i got a letter from my personnel officer to come in and see her and store boss as they could not find a department where at times i would be lone working they had no choice but to terminate my employment i was a month short of 25 years service and i only had been of 2weeks in total due to my et even on my rough days the occupational nurse was absolutely fantastic she examined every possibility getting me back in work but i got no warnings off my fits so she was looking after my welfare but dont worry they are very understanding

[Hidden]

Hi Nick I am sorry this has happened to you, as you say you only ever had 2 weeks off with ET. I can understand how they came to their decision although it is still tough on you and the impact it has on your life. Its so true that our health is our wealth and all the best laid plans don't always pan out. I think I won't be so worried about OH anymore having read everyones comments, they seem to be putting the needs of the employee first, even if its not always the outcome we might have wanted. Are you retired now if so I hope you are doing ok? Best wishes

[nurseannie]

Morning Mallard

I am an occupational health adviser working in higher education and have been diagnosed with PV so know exactly where you are coming from. Having read the comments above I just want to state that OH is a confidential interview. No there will not be an examination, it is more of a functional assessment so your employer can be advised on the appropriate way to support you with your condition. A medical report is not supplied, it is more on a functional level ti help with any required adjustments. I am sure you will feel very much supported after your visit.

[geordie]

Hi I worked for local government and was referred to OH. I prepared a summary of how I felt and my illness and took in copies of information from the MPD voice website outlining the issues of fatigue other side effects and that the condition was a blood cancer (I also provided this information to my line manager). I also provided my doctor as a reference to obtain additional information. She recommended ill health retirement and provided the OH with copies of all of the hospital letters she had received. before diagnosis I had been suffering (although not off work) for some time and had been to the doctors repeatedly with stress as the diagnosis. Eventually after collapsing at work I was scanned and found to have had a number of strokes caused by the condition, I also have a very stressful and demanding job. OH recommended me for ill health retirement and so I never returned to work after my initial collapse and I was able to receive a full pension.

I hope this helps I think providing as much information as possible will help with any support you get from your employer.

[Hidden]

Thanks Nurseannie, appreciate your feedback and it has helped me put things into perspective.

Geordie it would never have occurred to me to take any information with me thank you for that, I will put together some info to take along with me.

[Magg in reply to Hidden]

Hi Mallard

There is some great advice on here! Was going to add about taking information with you but Geordie has said it all! I found OH to be extremly supportive but initially they knew nothing about MPD. Fortunately, I had taken information on ET which they kept for their files, plus lists of medication I am on with description of side effects etc, letters from hospital and also a list of my symptoms. We all experience different symptoms and I find it useful to keep a diary of when I'm feeling a bit weird so when I attend the hospital for check ups I can look back to see if there is a pattern or if it has any bearing on ET. I used this when I saw OH. Sorry, I've rambled on a bit! Good luck though! It's all very daunting at first!

[Hidden]

Thanks Magg I appreciate your advice. I have my appointment through and it is the first week of March so I better get organised assembling some info.

[Hidden]

I attended OH yesterday and it was a very positive experience and very much like everyone commented. They just asked me lots of questions regarding ET and how it affected me on a daily basis. I was asked how I felt about being diagnosed with a chronic condition and if I wanted I could have 6 sessions of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). They recommended a stress assessment and a workspace assessment. The OH practitioner suggested if it was possible to work from home when I didn't feel well. (of course this will all depend on my line manager, a laptop and a dongle lol). On the whole it was a very positive experience and nothing to worry about. They want to see me every six months to see how I am managing. I asked if this would go against me at work and was assured I was protected by the DDA, however, she did admit though only as long as I was capable of doing my job and not off work for any length of time. She emphasised the importance of taking any support offered to ensure I never get to that stage. Once again thanks to everyone who offered me their experience of OH. Kind regards M