News Update 

The Difference between an Occupational Health Assessment and a Management Referral

The term occupational health referral, management referral and occupational health assessment are all the same thing.

Purpose of Referral

An individual may be referred to occupational health where there is concern about their health, performance (where there may be health implications) or level of sickness absence. An assessment by an occupational health practitioner (doctor or nurse) can provide objective information that can assist management in addressing these issues.

When to Refer

• An individual should be referred for an assessment where there is concern that they may have work related health problems or that their health is being aggravated by work tasks.
• There are difficulties coping on return after being absent – following a serious illness or injury or due to a disability
• There may be underlying ill health or disability contributing to performance issues
• There is long term or frequent sickness absence.

If you are unsure whether a referral is appropriate, please contact Safewell Occupational Health for further advice. In addition, the referral may be discussed with or initiated by your Human Resource (HR) advisers. Following discussion with the individual, the originator of the request must complete a management referral form containing full details of the individual, their job description, an outline of the problem and the matters on which opinion is sought.

How to Make a Referral

To get the best advice from occupational health, the referral will need to include enough detail for an appropriate assessment to be made. This will help the clinician understand the nature of the individual’s work, advise whether any aspects might be affecting their health and consider any modifications or adjustments which may enable the individual to do their job.

The information should include:

• The reasons for the referral
• The specific questions to be answered
• The individual’s previous two years attendance record
• Current job description – PD33
• Any relevant risk assessments (e.g., DSE, individual stress tool, pregnancy)