Private Occupational Health Assessments Across the UK

An occupational health assessment is a clinical review of an employee’s health in relation to their work. A doctor assesses whether the individual is fit for work, fit with adjustments, or temporarily unfit, and produces a written report. Employers use these assessments to support absent employees' return to work, meet health and safety obligations, and make informed decisions about workplace adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.

Assessments at PMC start from £495. The written report is included in the cost, with no additional admin fees.

The report includes a fitness-for-work determination (fit, fit with adjustments, or temporarily unfit), the relevant clinical findings, any recommended workplace adjustments, and the doctor’s reasoning. Employment decisions remain with the employer.

Some assessments can be carried out by telephone or video consultation, depending on what the assessment covers. Where a physical examination is required, the appointment must be in person. Contact us when booking, and we will advise on the most appropriate format for your situation.

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, employers must offer a health assessment to employees before they start working nights and at regular intervals thereafter. The assessment establishes whether an employee is at increased health risk from night work and is carried out by a doctor.

Your doctor will ask about your current health, any medical conditions or medications relevant to your work, and the specific concerns or requirements that prompted the assessment. The questions are focused on your fitness for the role, not on your health in general. You are not required to disclose anything beyond what is relevant to the assessment.

Yes. We work with employers of all sizes, from sole traders needing a single assessment to larger organisations requiring regular occupational health support. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Employers can refer an employee directly, without involving the employee’s NHS GP. Individuals can also self-refer, whether for a pre-employment health screen or an independent assessment for their own records. No NHS referral is needed in either case.

Most assessments take between 45 minutes and an hour. The duration depends on what the assessment covers and whether it requires a physical examination.

Where an employer has commissioned the assessment, the report is issued to both the employee and the employer. Where an individual has self-referred, the report is issued to the individual to share as they choose.

A pre-employment medical is a specific type of occupational health assessment carried out before someone starts a new role. Both produce a written report outlining the individual’s fitness for the role. The terms are often used interchangeably.

An employee cannot generally be compelled to attend an occupational health assessment. However, refusing one can affect how the employer manages an absence or adjustments decision, as the employer may make decisions based on the information available to them. Where an employer has commissioned the assessment, the employee is usually encouraged to attend so that their health circumstances can be properly considered.

This means the doctor has assessed that the employee can work, provided certain changes are made to their role or conditions. The report will set out what those adjustments are. The employer, not the doctor, decides whether to implement them.