Occupational Health Service and your doctor

[Chimps_tea_party]

Hi

Are OHS allowed to override the advice given by your own doctor regarding fitness to work?

Thank you.

[Jack Rouse]

No!

[Chimps_tea_party]

I've reason to believe different but that's all I can say.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Actually yes, end of the day it's only a recommendation/advice from the doctor and the exact same from ohs, in fact the dom doesn't actually need to listen to any of them if he really wants to, though it would be foolish of him to ignore the medical advice in the event something bad then happened it would be his neck on the chopping line

[Chimps_tea_party]

I suppose the next of kin could always sue RM if the worst were to happen.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No!

Yes they can, in fact your own manager can ignore the advice of OH Assist and your own Doctors but he will have to have very strong reasons for doing so. Although any manager overriding both a GP and OHS assist must either be very well informed in both medical and employment matters, very brave or very stupid.


http://www.personneltoday.com/hr/govern ... fit-notes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chimps_tea_party]

Very worrying. Thanks for the link.

[Jack Rouse]

No!

Yes they can, in fact your own manager can ignore the advice of OH Assist and your own Doctors but he will have to have very strong reasons for doing so. Although any manager overriding both a GP and OHS assist must either be very well informed in both medical and employment matters, very brave or very stupid.


http://www.personneltoday.com/hr/govern ... fit-notes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you read the article properly it says it can work both ways ...

The guidance states: “The assessment about whether your employee is not fit for work or may be fit for work (and any other advice in the fit note) is classed as advice, and it is for employers to determine whether or not to accept it.

“Occasionally, you may believe that your employee is not fit for work when they have been assessed as fit for work by their doctor, or you may think that your employee could do some work when they have been assessed as ‘not fit for work’ by their doctor.”

It also says "Employers MAY, IN PRINCIPLE" be able to override a Dr's fit note"

I have noticed my self since the introduction of the new sick pay rules, that a lot more are being "light duties" instead of sitting at home and being paid, or not in the cases of some, this advice may be part of that. There was a time when manager couldn't find any light duties, now they seem to be able to.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thats why I posted the link

Your No was emphatic, but as you can see from the link, its anything but clear.

[Darren Bent]

and problem with light duties it is all throwing out walk/preparing Door to Door crap. It need to improve on this and use postal workers's other skills. Royal Mail never asked me what I can do with computers or whatever. The business doesn't use their skills or knowledge for other things.

[Jack Rouse]

Thats why I posted the link

Your No was emphatic, but as you can see from the link, its anything but clear.

The question was whether OHS would override a Doctor, and the answer to that is still NO, the article regards a manager not taking OHS or a Doctors advice.

I doubt any Doctor would totally contradict another, it's just not done in medical practice, prescribing a different treatment though is another thing.

[Jack Rouse]

and problem with light duties it is all throwing out walk/preparing Door to Door crap. It need to improve on this and use postal workers's other skills. Royal Mail never asked me what I can do with computers or whatever. The business doesn't use their skills or knowledge for other things.

That's because they don't want you to upstage a DOM who doesn't even know how to sort columns in Excel.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Thats why I posted the link

Your No was emphatic, but as you can see from the link, its anything but clear.

The question was whether OHS would override a Doctor, and the answer to that is still NO, the article regards a manager not taking OHS or a Doctors advice.

I doubt any Doctor would totally contradict another, it's just not done in medical practice, prescribing a different treatment though is another thing.

OHS can and do over rule what a gp will say, again that is not a no, also usually the ohs report is considered by a occupational health nurse not usually a doctor, there are plenty of examples on here where it has happened, easy way to realise it is with regard to ihr where the timescales for recovery are considered, doctor may be a few months but ohs say longer and ihr the postie as that's what RM basically asked them to do

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thats why I posted the link

Your No was emphatic, but as you can see from the link, its anything but clear.

The question was whether OHS would override a Doctor, and the answer to that is still NO, the article regards a manager not taking OHS or a Doctors advice.

I doubt any Doctor would totally contradict another, it's just not done in medical practice, prescribing a different treatment though is another thing.

from same link

The guidance continues: “In situations like this you as the employer are within your rights to gather other evidence about your employee’s fitness for work from other doctors or healthcare professionals. You can choose to give this other evidence precedence over the advice in the fit note.

“The fact an employer can choose to go out and gather other evidence, and that the employer’s evidence can take precedence over other evidence, is really important,” he said. “For example, an occupational health nurse that knows the site very well and has done an assessment for work may be able to say: ‘There is work on this site that is suitable for that person’.

[Edward Hunter]

yes OHS can overide your doctor. Thats why RM pay them £10,000,000 a year! The people at OHS are supposedly better informed as to what our job entails