Do you need a referral for occupational health screening?

This screening checks whether your health is compatible with particular work duties and whether you may need adjustments or precautions. It can include questions about your medical history, an examination, vision or hearing checks, and tests related to workplace exposure. The clinician may focus on the demands of the role rather than provide a general health assessment.

Read the employer's instructions and ask whether the appointment must be made with a named provider. Take identification, your job description or placement details, and a list of medicines and relevant conditions. If the employer asks your family doctor for a report, you may need to give consent before information is shared. A referral may be needed if the screening is being requested as part of a separate specialist assessment.

Contact a clinician promptly if the screening has identified chest pain, fainting, severe breathlessness, a serious work-related injury, or another urgent symptom. Do not wait for an administrative referral when you need immediate medical care. Occupational screening itself is not a substitute for assessment of a new or worsening health problem.

Ask which parts of the screening are required for your role, whether your current medicines affect any duties, what consent is needed for reports, and whether a finding will lead to follow-up with your family doctor or a specialist.