The AHM team have been working hard to ensure that we can still deliver services to those clients that need us. On Friday 20th March, the HSE released new guidance about OH and health surveillance which has resulted in a need to review our working practices to ensure the safety of our team, and you and your employees.
The biggest change is that all appointments that do not absolutely need to be carried out face to face will be done remotely by telephone or video link where appropriate.
The HSE have advised that the majority of health surveillance should be carried out by telephone questionnaires, with face to face reviews only recommended if essential. Questionnaire based screening is not unprecedented in occupational health and, although not as comprehensive, still serves a useful purpose to spot symptoms early. Please be assured that we will still facilitate face to face appointments for any employees that present with concerning symptoms over the phone. Should this need arise, we will discuss with you the best way to facilitate this with minimal risk to your staff and ours. A fit note will still be produced with the questionnaire screening and this will be released to you via the online portal as normal.
We have also made the decision to transfer all management referrals to telephone or video appointments in the first instance, again with face to face reviews only recommended for specific cases where it is essential to see the individual in person.
We have not taken this decision lightly, and hope you can appreciate the reasons why.
Although the way in which we carry out our appointments is changing, we can assure you that the professional, friendly AHM approach will not change. We have had feedback that many employees are using health surveillance appointments as an opportunity to discuss their anxieties and concerns around the current situation and we feel it is important to still be available to have those conversations and be a friendly ear whilst still monitoring their health and safety through a verbal assessment.
If you have a clinic coming up, we will be in touch with you about the logistics of telephone assessments.
We will all come out of this, and when we do, it’s important to us that our clients have felt supported. If there is anything we can do to help you keep your business ticking along, please do get in touch. If it’s support for your employees who are anxious, or online desk assessments for those working from home, or if you just need to talk things through to help your mind untangle all the information – we are here for you.