Do you need a fitness to work assessment after a pre-employment medical?

A pre-employment medical gathers health information relevant to starting a role. A fitness to work assessment focuses on whether your current health, abilities, and any restrictions fit the actual tasks and working conditions. This may include physical demands, concentration, shift patterns, workplace hazards, protective equipment, or safety-sensitive duties. The assessor may review medical information and ask about functional limits. A referral does not by itself mean that you cannot work; it means the role and your health need to be considered together.

Ask the employer or occupational health service whether the assessment is required, who arranges it, and what information will be shared. Take relevant medical letters, your medicine list, and details of any restrictions or workplace adjustments. Describe what you can do comfortably, what causes difficulty, and whether symptoms vary across a shift. Tell the assessor about previous injuries or conditions that affect lifting, driving, standing, hearing, vision, alertness, or exposure to workplace hazards. Do not stop prescribed treatment to prepare for the appointment.

Contact a healthcare professional promptly if you develop chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, sudden weakness, or an injury that affects your ability to work safely. If a health problem changes after the pre-employment medical, report it before starting duties. Urgent symptoms need medical assessment rather than waiting for an occupational appointment.

Ask: Which duties should the assessment address? Do I need restrictions or adjustments? What medical information is relevant to share? When should my fitness be reviewed if the role or my health changes?