Occ Health Assessment

[Ghostd]

Help!!

I've been off work since the beginning of October and my boss asked me last week to have a telephone assessment by their Occ Health doctor this Monday.im terrified,I have slept and won't sleep till Monday and I've been drinking with the anxiety. Can anyone tell me what to expect? I think the doctor will think Im exaggerating and making my depression and anxiety up :-(

[Annie0904]

I have seen Occupational Health 4 times and they have always very supportive and helpful. I am sure they will not think you are making it up at all.

[kittikat]

I agree with Annie, I have had 3 Occ Health assessments now and have found them very impartial and they know what questions to ask you. Just be as honest as you can, they are there to advise your employer how to support you ultimately, not to try and 'catch you out'.

You should be given the opportunity to see the report before your employer does too. I didn't bother, I just told them to send it to them at the same time they sent it to me as I knew, like you, I had nothing to hide.

Try not to worry. It's usual protocol when you have been off on 'long term' sick.

[nomorepanic]

I have seen them many times as well and they are lovely people and have always been on "my side" over things

[Chester]

Echo what others have said.

Occ health are medical professionals and they will have seen and heard hundreds of people in your situation.

Best to remember they are not the enemy. Occ Health is independent. They are there to support you and your return to work.

[Mark13]

Help!!

I've been off work since the beginning of October and my boss asked me last week to have a telephone assessment by their Occ Health doctor this Monday.im terrified,I have slept and won't sleep till Monday and I've been drinking with the anxiety. Can anyone tell me what to expect? I think the doctor will think Im exaggerating and making my depression and anxiety up :-(
You're lucky you get a Doctor :)

With our OHS supplier we rarely even get a nurse, the others are just trained counsellors.

You're off to a good start if you get a Doctor, as they will have a lot of experience and knowledge and will be able to put you at your ease.

Certainly there's no need to worry, they can only advise your employer in general terms.

[Ghostd]

Thanks everyone,

It's a third party health contractor my work employ and it says its a doctor I will speak to.

How much do I tell them? In reality I've been wanting to resign since November and only my Psychiatrist has stopped me telling me not to be hasty and make rash decisions. I have no plan or wish to go back to that place and my career as far as I can see is over , I don't or ever will have the mental resources for it. I rarely even leave the house these days. I'm only grateful I have a supportive wife who is happy to support us on one wage if i lose my job until Im well. I'd love to tell them to stuff their job but again all the advice I'm getting is to take sick pay for as long as I can before I leave. The GP last week told me not to even speak to Occ health as I was not mentally fit for it but I don't like saying no.

[kittikat]

I would say tell them everything. Then see what the report says and if your employer is prepared to follow up on the support advised by the occ health doc.

I have been off work for 6 months now and also attended 2 formal sickness hearings. I appealed the 2nd hearing outcome due to the harsh final warning I got. I am on half pay now and it is tough going. I got a letter from my doc stating I was unfit to attend my appeal hearing. My employer went ahead with it anyway and I am awaiting the outcome. I have worked there for a long time and expected a bit more support. I sought advice from the CAB...they were very helpful.

Check if you are covered by the Equalities Act 2010. If so you have a disability under the MH part of the act and this means your employer cannot discriminate against you and have a duty of care to you. You could therefore be protected under the law so my advice would be to hang on to your job if you can. That may mean you staying off sick and riding the storm for now.

I would definitely seek some proper advice from the CAB or Acas before you jack it all in.

I hope this helps you a little. Feel free to PM me if you need anything clarified. Kitti :)

[Annie0904]

I would say tell them everything. Then see what the report says and if your employer is prepared to follow up on the support advised by the occ health doc.

I have been off work for 6 months now and also attended 2 formal sickness hearings. I appealed the 2nd hearing outcome due to the harsh final warning I got. I am on half pay now and it is tough going. I got a letter from my doc stating I was unfit to attend my appeal hearing. My employer went ahead with it anyway and I am awaiting the outcome. I have worked there for a long time and expected a bit more support. I sought advice from the CAB...they were very helpful.

Check if you are covered by the Equalities Act 2010. If so you have a disability under the MH part of the act and this means your employer cannot discriminate against you and have a duty of care to you. You could therefore be protected under the law so my advice would be to hang on to your job if you can. That may mean you staying off sick and riding the storm for now.

I would definitely seek some proper advice from the CAB or Acas before you jack it all in.

I hope this helps you a little. Feel free to PM me if you need anything clarified. Kitti :)

My Occ Health doctor wrote in his report that I am covered by the Equalities Act 2010. Ghostd, I would follow kittikats very good advise hear and also contact your Union Rep if you have one for support. My rep has been very supportive and has attended meetings on my behalf.

[Ghostd]

Just thought I'd tell you about my discussion with Occ Health doc. I spoke to him yesterday and he was very very nice. He said I was ill and to focus on getting better and not to think about work or anything else. I told him how I felt my career was over and rarely leave the house now. He asked me if I had had any CBT but I explained how I was being passed about from Psychiatrist to Psychologist,he asked if I had private health insurance as the NHS "aren't any good". I'm now worried as he said he was going to phone me back in a couple of weeks to see how I was getting on but I'm terrified he's going to be on my back asking all the time if I'm ready to go back.I really just want my company to fire me or pay me off,haven't got the energy to fight them.

[Annie0904]

He won't do that, and it is good that he is concerned enough to phone you back. He will not push you to do something that you are not ready to do.