Occupational Health requirements
All offers are subject to a satisfactory health screening and an occupational health assessment.
Disabilities and health concerns do not necessarily form a barrier to entry onto the BSc Nursing Adult, BSc Nursing Mental Health, BSc Nursing Child, BSc Midwifery, BSc Physiotherapy or BSc Sport Rehabilitation. In line with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001) we treat all students fairly, offering ongoing support and making reasonable adjustments where necessary.
However, we have a responsibility to ensure that all students admitted to our courses will be able to meet the standards of proficiency set out by the governing bodies of the professions.
It is expected that any condition, past or present, will be controlled and stable and, as such, will not impair your ability to complete the course, or care for patients/clients.
Any applicant who is offered a place on the course is required to complete a medical questionnaire. Our current Occupational Health provider, Optima Health email all offer holders with the important information about completing your pre-course Occupational Health questionnaire (PPQ).
Offer holders must ensure that they have completed this before they start the course. Any offer of a place is subject to satisfactory Occupational Health clearance. If you have not received their email, please email them directly to request that they resend the link to the Occupational Health questionnaire (PPQ).
A panel in the university reviews all Occupational Health assessments and all recommended adjustments. This panel determines whether the recommended adjustments can be made on an individual case-by-case basis.
It is therefore important to note that all offers of a place on the course are conditional on obtaining occupational health clearance. Accepting someone who is unlikely to fulfil the rigorous demands of professional fitness to practise would not be in the interests of the student and would be contrary to the school’s overriding duty of care to the public. For that reason, students with disabilities should seek advice from the admissions tutor well before the deadline for UCAS submissions so that each case can be given individual consideration.
In line with UCAS guidelines, disability or health concerns can be disclosed on the UCAS form and/or in a letter addressed directly to the Admissions Tutor. This includes, among others, conditions such as hearing or visual impairments, dyslexia, diabetes, epilepsy, depression or eating disorders. All of the information disclosed is treated as completely confidential.
Vaccination requirements
In order to become a health professional (nurse, midwife, physiotherapist or sport rehabilitator) you must have received the following vaccinations:
- Hepatitis B
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (or evidence of immunity to measles and rubella)
- Varicella (or a history of having chickenpox)
- Tuberculosis
BSc Midwifery students will also require screenings to ensure you do not pose a risk of passing on Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV to your patients.
We may require independent advice from our occupational health provider and refer you to their services throughout your course. This may also involve retesting, further vaccinations or other appropriate interventions.
From 15 March 2022, the UK government revoked the requirement for students engaged in patient-facing health or social care settings to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. This means that while we still encourage all eligible students to become fully vaccinated, there will be no impediment to you starting your course, regardless of your Covid-19 vaccination status.
Accessibility
We welcome applications from all potential students with disabilities or any ongoing physical, mental health or educational issues.
When thinking of applying, please contact the School of Health Sciences to let us know about your circumstances.
This could include but is not limited to:
- dyslexia
- depression
- anxiety
- epilepsy
This will allow us to identify what support is available for you.
Contact the team