Occupational Health Assessment

Occupational Health Services
Occupational Health Assessment

A MCL Medics occupational health assessment is a clinical evaluation of the relationship between an employee’s health and their ability to do their job. It is not a diagnosis. It is not a GP appointment.

It is a focused, employment-context assessment that gives you the medical intelligence to make fair, defensible decisions about capability, adjustments, absence, and return to work.

The term covers several different types of assessment, each triggered by a different situation and each producing a different type of report. Understanding which assessment you need prevents delays, reduces costs, and ensures you get the right clinical output for the decision you need to make.

Service at a glance:

Service: Occupational health assessments for UK employers covering all assessment types.
Types: Management referral, fitness for work, return to work, capability, Equality Act, ill-health retirement.
Delivery: Face-to-face, secure video or telephone. National coverage.
Provider: SEQOHS accredited. Directly employed clinicians. No subcontracted associates.

Certifications & Accreditations

Types of Occupational Health Assessment

Management Referral

The most common type. Triggered when a manager or HR professional needs an independent clinical opinion on an employee’s fitness for their specific role. Covers capability, absence prognosis, recommended adjustments, and Equality Act 2010 obligations. The output is an employer-focused report with clear, actionable recommendations. Available as a one-off referral or as part of a retained OH contract.

Fitness for Work Assessment

Determines whether an employee can safely perform the physical and cognitive demands of their role. Often required for safety-critical positions involving driving, working at height, confined spaces, or operating machinery. The assessment considers both the employee’s current health status and the specific hazards of their job. The report confirms fitness, identifies restrictions, or recommends adjustments.

Return to Work Assessment

For employees coming back after a period of sickness absence. Evaluates whether the employee is ready to resume duties, whether a phased return is appropriate, and what workplace adjustments might be needed. Particularly important after long-term absence, mental health conditions, musculoskeletal injuries, or surgery. Prevents premature returns that lead to relapse and repeated absence.

Capability Assessment

Used when there are concerns about an employee’s long-term ability to fulfil their contract. Typically part of a formal capability process, providing the medical evidence HR needs for decisions about redeployment, contract adjustment, or termination on health grounds. Must be fair, evidence-based, and compliant with the Equality Act 2010.

Equality Act Assessment

Specifically focused on whether an employee’s condition meets the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 and what reasonable adjustments should be considered. This is not a simple yes-or-no question. It considers the nature and duration of the condition, its impact on day-to-day activities, and the practical adjustments that would remove workplace disadvantage.

Ill-Health Retirement Assessment

Required when an employee’s health means they can no longer work in any capacity and early retirement on health grounds is being considered. Provides the medical evidence needed to support an application to the pension scheme, whether NHS, Local Government, Teachers’, or a private scheme with specific criteria.

Pre-Placement Health Assessment

Conducted after a conditional job offer to ensure a new starter can meet the health requirements of the role.

How Our Assessments Work

Referral

The manager or HR team submits a referral through our online portal or by contacting our booking team. The referral should include the job role, the health concern, specific questions, and relevant background. One-off referrals are accepted without a contract.

Assessment

A qualified OH clinician conducts the assessment via secure video, telephone, or face-to-face at one of our nationwide clinic locations. The format depends on the health issue and your preference.

Report

You receive a clear, employer-focused report addressing each referral question. The report provides functional recommendations on what the employee can and cannot do, what adjustments to consider, and the likely prognosis for attendance and performance.

Turnaround

For one-off referrals, assessment is typically within the same week. Reports are returned within three to five working days. Expedited turnaround is available for urgent cases.

Why the Type of Assessment Matters

Requesting the wrong type wastes time and money. A management referral that asks generic fitness questions when the real issue is Equality Act compliance will produce a report that does not answer the question HR actually needs. A return-to-work assessment conducted before the employee is clinically ready leads to a premature return and a second absence.

Our clinical team reviews every referral and confirms the most appropriate assessment type before proceeding. If the referral questions suggest a different assessment would be more useful, we advise you before the appointment takes place. This clinical triage is part of the governance that comes with a SEQOHS-accredited service.

What Makes Our Assessments Different

SEQOHS accredited

Consistent clinical quality regardless of which clinician conducts the assessment, independently audited and externally verified.

Directly employed clinicians

Every assessment is conducted by a clinician within our governance framework. No associate networks.

Employer-focused reports

Written for HR decision-makers, not clinicians. Clear language, functional recommendations, direct answers.

Integrated clinical pathway

If an assessment identifies a need for counselling, physiotherapy, or further support, the referral into our EAP or MSK pathway is direct. One provider, one governance framework.

What This Means for Your Business

The right occupational health assessment, requested at the right time, with the right questions, produces a report that directly supports your management decision. The wrong assessment, wrong type, wrong timing, vague questions, produces a report that sits in a filing cabinet while the problem escalates. The cost difference between the two approaches is measured in months of unresolved absence, tribunal exposure, and the compounding frustration of a situation that could have been resolved with the right clinical input from the start.

The wrong assessment, wrong type, wrong timing, wrong questions, does not just waste money. It wastes the window of opportunity for effective intervention. By the time you realise the report does not answer your management question, weeks have passed and the situation has escalated.

Assessment Quality You Can Depend On

MCL Medics occupational health assessments are conducted by qualified OH professionals working within our SEQOHS-certified quality framework. Reports address the specific management questions you raised and provide clear, actionable recommendations.

When the referral questions are vague, the assessment type is wrong, or the clinician lacks the commercial awareness to frame their findings in employment terms, the resulting report sits in a filing cabinet rather than informing a management decision.

Our approach prevents this by reviewing every referral before the assessment takes place. We confirm the right assessment type, we clarify ambiguous questions, and we ensure the clinician conducting the assessment understands both the clinical picture and the employment context. This front-end quality control is a distinctive feature of our service and one of the reasons our reports are consistently described by clients as the most useful they’ve received.

Frequently Asked Questions

A clinical evaluation of the relationship between an employee’s health and their work. Conducted by a qualified OH clinician producing employer-focused recommendations. Not a diagnosis or GP appointment.

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When health affects attendance or performance. When you need medical evidence for a management decision. When an employee is returning from long-term absence. When assessing Equality Act obligations. When fitness for a safety-critical role needs confirming.

No. We accept one-off referrals from any UK employer. Same SEQOHS-accredited assessment and report regardless of contract status.

One-off assessments are available at a fixed fee without requiring a contract. Pricing depends on the type of assessment and the consultation format. Retained clients receive assessments within their contract terms at volume-discounted rates. We provide a clear quote within 24 hours, contact our team with your requirements and we’ll confirm the right assessment type and the cost before you commit.

The consultation takes 60 to 90 minutes. Referral to report is usually five to seven working days. Same-week appointments available for one-off referrals.

The employer receives only information relevant to the referral questions. Full medical details are not disclosed. Compliant with GMC guidelines and GDPR.

Yes, but the employer can then proceed with decisions based on available information.

What our clients say

WHO WE WORK WITH

Get in touch

How can we help you?

Submit an Occupational Health Referral

Same-Week Appointments Available. One-off referrals accepted without a contract. Tell us what you need and we’ll confirm the right assessment type, the format, and the timeline within 24 hours.

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