Do you need a referral for fitness to work assessment?

A fitness to work assessment considers whether your current health supports particular duties, work hours or workplace conditions. An occupational-medicine clinician may review your job description, medical history, functional abilities and any restrictions. The conclusion may describe fitness, recommended adjustments or the need for further evaluation; it is not the same as treating every underlying condition.

Check with your employer or the clinic about the required appointment type before booking. Bring the job description, relevant forms, identification, medication list and reports about conditions that affect lifting, driving, concentration, hearing, vision or shift work. Be clear about the duties you actually perform. If the assessment follows an injury or illness, ask whether a treating clinician should provide a report.

Get urgent medical help for sudden weakness, severe breathing difficulty, chest pressure, fainting, new confusion or an injury with uncontrolled bleeding. If you feel unsafe to drive, operate machinery or perform a hazardous task because of symptoms, stop that activity and seek medical advice promptly rather than waiting for an occupational appointment.

Ask which duties the assessment can address, what evidence is needed, and whether temporary restrictions or workplace adjustments should be recorded. Clarify who receives the report and how confidential medical details are handled. Ask when a review is needed if your health or job duties change.