As a key healthcare worker, it is essential for you to be fit to work, and to be able to evidence your ongoing health status. Direct Medics supports you to achieve this by confirming initial fitness to work when you register with us, and by checking with you regularly that your health information has not changed.
In turn, we appreciate being kept updated with any major changes that can impact upon your health and suitability for particular types of work.
Your Fitness To Work: EPP and non-EPP clearance
The type of work you will require will depend entirely on whether your role will involve Exposure Prone Procedures (which is defined as, those invasive procedures where there is a risk that injury to the worker may result in the exposure of the patient's open tissues to the blood of the worker.
EPP procedures include those where the worker's gloved hands may be in contact with sharp instruments, needle tips or sharp tissues (e.g. spicules of bone or teeth) inside a patient's open body cavity, wound or confined anatomical space where the hands or fingertips may not be completely visible at all times.
Examples of procedures that are not exposure prone include taking blood (venepuncture); setting up and maintaining IV lines or central lines (provided any skin- tunnelling procedure used for the latter is performed in a non-exposure prone manner; minor surface suturing; the incision of external abscesses; routine vaginal or rectal examinations, and simple endoscopic procedures.
How to confirm your Fitness To Work
1. Submit your Pathology reports: all healthcare workers are required to provide evidence of immunisation / clearance for the following:
Hepatitis B Antibodies
Tuberculosis: if you do not have a serology report confirming presence of a BCG scar, please complete and return our declaration.
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Varicella: if you do not have a serology report confirming your varicella status , please complete and return our declaration.
If you wish to work in a specialty involving EPP work, you will also be required to provide evidence of immunisation / clearance for:
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
Hepatitis C
HIV
2. Complete your pre-employment health questionnaire
Your questionnaire is updated annually to confirm your ongoing health status, and should anything change you should let us know.
