As stated in the conditional offer, you must complete and return health forms (Immunisation History and Health Declaration) by the specified date.
All healthcare students must be immunised for personal and/or public protection and provide relevant information on immunisation status. You must complete a Health Declaration Questionnaire and be assessed as satisfactory by the Occupational Health Service.
The Health Declaration and Immunisation form must be completed and returned to uobenquiries@uhb.nhs.uk. As part of the condition the forms must be returned to the email address by 23 June 2023.
We look forward to receiving your Health and Immunisation forms by the stated deadline. Further information regarding these forms is available below.
Please also take the time to read the Occupational Health (OH) department of the UHB NHS Trust's privacy notice relating to the handling of this sensitive data (364KB PDF).
MBChB applicants: Please be advised that after admission (i.e. separate to the procedures summarised above) you will be offered the opportunity to engage in Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs). Details are provided in the EPP section below. Dental Surgery and Dental Hygiene and Therapy applicants must note that receiving approval for engaging in EPPs is a compulsory requirement and the testing (described on the immunisation form) must be undertaken prior to admission.
Pre Course Health Questionnaire
The information you disclose in this questionnaire will remain confidential to the Occupational Health Department and will be used only to assess your fitness for your proposed course. You will be responsible for disclosing medical information to the University, reasonable adjustments may be made by the University for medical conditions and/or disabilities.
Your Course Tutor and the Admissions Office will only receive an opinion as to your fitness for the course. The information you give will be stored on the dedicated Occupational Health electronic record system and will be treated in strictest confidence by the Occupational Health Department in compliance with data protection law unless explicit consent is given for further disclosure. In accordance with this Act, you may have access to your records at any reasonable time. If you require a copy of any part of your record, this will only be supplied upon written request, which may incur a cost. In some cases, it may be necessary to ask you to attend a health interview.
Immunisation History Record
- All students on courses which have a clinical component must have been immunised against Rubella, Measles and Tuberculosis. (Please note that compulsory vaccinations may change in the future as advised by the Department for Health and Social Care, and you will be notified if this happens.)
- All students are advised to commence a full course of Hepatitis B vaccinations. Following this, a Hepatitis B Surface Antibody blood test is also advised. This immunisation/testing schedule is necessary for Dental Surgery and Dental Hygiene and Therapy students and should be undertaken prior to admission.
- Dental students additionally require validated blood tests for HIV Screen, Hepatitis C Antibody Screen and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen.
You may consult with your GP to complete the Immunisation History Record, but they are not obligated to do so.
Please send copies of documentary evidence. Do not send originals. We would recommend you retain copies of all completed forms for your own records. You will be contacted only if there is a need for clarification with your health clearance.
Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs)
The guidance below is applicable to MBChB students only.
Students are offered the opportunity to undertake EPPs during their clinical placements.
We believe that it offers an additional valuable learning experience for students, though undertaking EPPs is not a required course component.
The Department of Health (DoH) defines EPPs as: “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. This is described as ‘bleed-back’. These include procedures 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 may not be completely visible at all times.” (Health Clearance for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV: New healthcare workers. Department of Health, March 2007).
The concern with EPPs is the transmission of blood-borne viruses (BBVs).
It is important to note that most clinical procedures are not EPPs.
The opportunity for performing EPPs is entirely dependent upon a student agreeing to undertake screening for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. A student must be confirmed as BBV negative (or meet certain stringent conditions if they are found to be BBV positive) in order to be allowed to undertake EPPs.
Please note that this EPP status is additional to the standard clearance process that all applicants who are made an offer are asked to engage with at the time of admission. The standard process includes advice on vaccination for Hepatitis B.
No student will be required to pay for the additional BBV screening that is necessary to acquire EPP clearance. The testing will be carried out by our Occupational Health service after you commence the course.
There will be no detrimental impact upon your progression and your ability to graduate and meet the GMC Outcomes for Graduates if either you decline EPP testing or the screening for BBVs results in you being unable to undertake EPPs. After graduation if either of these circumstances applies, you will be restricted in the clinical work you are permitted to undertake.
View our EPP Policy document (275KB PDF).
Additional resources