Annual Health Surveillance

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Annual Health Screening and Skin Surveillance

Annual health surveillance/screening supports the early and proactive identification of employees within our organisation in need of a more detailed health assessment. It is important for detecting ill-health effects at an early stage and to give advice with the aim of preventing any condition from worsening. The health screening within our Trust targets area of need in relation to: night work; TB contact and for staff who may be experience skin conditions that can be occupationally induced.

Upon completion of the health screening questionnaire, if you have responded with a ‘Yes’ to any of the questions listed, you should engage your line manager who in turn will refer you to the Occupational Health Dept for further advice and support. If you respond ‘No’ to all questions no further action is required.

The need to involve your line manager at this juncture ensures that any recommendations needed within the workplace such as change in work pattern, procurement of a specialist barrier cream etc can be formally requested and will ensure that such actions are not missed. Your line manager will submit a management referral to OH and we will then arrange to discuss with you in confidence what further actions may be needed to support you.

The questionnaires that form part of the annual screening are as follows :

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Night workers questionnaire

All night workers are to be offered an initial and an annual health assessment. A night worker is classified as an individual who regularly works for more than three hours during the period 22:00hrs – 06:00hrs.

Click here for Night Workers Questionnaire

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Skin questionnaire

Contact dermatitis is the most common form of work-related skin disease seen in healthcare professionals. Dermatitis is an inflammatory condition of the skin caused by contact with a substance which can result in irritation, redness, cracking and/or blistering of the skin. Frequent or prolonged contact with water (termed ‘wet working’) and other irritants, chemicals and substances for example soaps and cleansers have the potential to cause work related dermatitis.

Click here for Skin Dermatitis poster

Click here for Skin Questionnaire

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TB questionnaire

Healthcare worker (HCW), laboratory worker or mortuary staff who have either direct contact with TB patients or with potentially infectious clinical materials or derived isolates should complete annual screening.

In addition, there are a number of occupational groups who are working with persons at higher risk of acquiring TB. These include staff working with prisoners, homeless persons, persons with drug and alcohol misuse and those who work with refugees and asylum seekers. BCG vaccination may also be considered for these groups.

In the hospital setting this may include HCWs working in or who perform certain clinical activities:

Emergency departments and medical assessments units – as they are likely to be exposed to respiratory problems before diagnosis, including intubation
Respiratory/HIV wards
Laboratories dealing with TB specimens
Mortuary and Post-mortems
Bronchoscopy or sputum induction, lung function testing – i.e., aerosolisation procedures

Click here for TB Questionnaire

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Please contact the Occupational Health dept if you require any support in completing the pertinent questionnaires.