Hello Roisin
In my view you are being put in a very difficult position - there is little
point in an employee being seen by OH if the effects and implications, of a
health condition cannot be revealed to a manager, particularly as they are
likely to have submitted at least one "Fit note" which is likely to give
more detail than the implications of the employees symptoms.
This directive seems to me to be health practitioners hiding behind a shield
of confidentiality. This doesn't do anyone any favours and could backfire on
the OH practitioner should they have to give evidence at an employment
tribunal.
To illustrate I have a friend who has Sjogren's Syndrome, an auto-immune
disorder:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Sjogrens-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx.
Generally she appears well but there are times when she has acute flare ups.
There is no need for her manager to know the diagnosis but it would be
helpful for him/her to appreciate the symptoms she experiences during acute
flare ups. At those times she suffers from significant fatigue, experiences
very dry eyes and has joint pain and stiffness. She is likely to find tasks
undertaken in a cold environment very challenging. There are implications in
relation to many of her work tasks, particularly those involving the use of
a DSE.
if I were her OHN I would be recommending a range of modifications to
assist her to carry out work tasks more effectively, particularly when
experiencing severe flare ups. The provision of voice activated software
with associated training would be just one that would have significant cost
implications. Her manager is less likely to (willingly) fund such
modifications if unaware of the difficulties their staff member faces.
Anne
Anne Harriss
Course Director
LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY
On 02/08/2011 13:15, "Roisin Smyth" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Thanks for the encouragement Carr, and I will be using that advice :)
>
> Corporate / Global Occ Health has recently given a very strong directive
> regarding the wording of our reports.
> I'm directed to avoid giving any detail of any symptoms at all: Corp OH
> states that this would be disclosing medical information and would be
> breaching
> medical confidentiality. For me personally, it begs the question why would it
> be a breach when
> we have informed consent, but this is the line I have to follow. Massive
> culture change
> for management to get used to, and I agree it doesn't really change how
> recommendations
> in OH reports are acted upon.
>
> Thanks again
> Roisin
>
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