Occupational Health Checks
Students on professional health courses will undergo health screenings known as an Occupational Health Check.
You will be required to disclose all health conditions and provide an updated medical journal of all vaccinations. This is to ensure that you meet the fitness to practise standards detailed on the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners (HEOPS) guidance and is in accordance with the Department of Health National Guidelines. New students will need to present this evidence to their academic department either before or at registration, in order to be allowed to start their course.
Students will be tested for selected diseases and will also be offered key immunisations if they have missed them or require updated doses. Students who test positive for certain diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, may have restrictions placed on their studies and subsequent practice. For example, they may be required not to participate in invasive surgical procedures where hands enter the body. Students with health conditions sufficiently severe to prevent them from meeting the required competencies may not be permitted to register at the University, or may be asked to defer their entry.
Occupational Health Checks are carried out by the Sheffield NHS Trust Occupational Health Department, who will arrange all the tests and vaccinations students need. Please contact your academic department for information about how and when these checks will be carried out.