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About the Occupational Health team
The Occupational Health (OH) Team have a vital role to promote and protect the mental and physical wellbeing of our people at work, offering independent advice to both managers and employees on health, the working environment, any health risks associated with the workplace and any occupational issues.
The services include:
- Health protection
- Vaccination programmes
- Statutory health surveillance
- Rehabilitation and return to work planning
- Disability advice
- Ill-health retirement assessments
- Management of existing work-related health problems
- Health and wellbeing advice
- Pre-placement health clearance
- Workstation assessments
We also provide services to external companies across Cornwall through NHS Plus as part of the government’s Health, Work and Wellbeing Strategy.
Contact details
- Telephone: 01872 252770
- Email: rcht.occhealth@nhs.net
- Fax: 01872 25 3184
Team Leader
- To be confirmed.
- Address: Pendeen House,
Royal Cornwall Hospital,
Truro,
Cornwall,
TR1 3LJ
Satellite clinics
Details of the satellite clinics undertaken by Occupational Health are below.
The drop-in clinics are for vaccinations, blood tests etc. Any other services offered will be arranged by appointment at the most convenient location.
Location | Dates |
---|---|
Location
Occupational Health Department Pendeen House Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro TR1 3LJ |
Dates
Every Monday 0800 – 1245 Every Wednesday 0800 – 1245 |
Location
Bodmin Hospital Boundary Road Bodmin PL31 2QT Go to Main Reception |
Dates Every Thursday 0830 – 1030 |
Location
West Cornwall Hospital St Clare Street Penzance Acute GP Clinic room 1 at TR18 2PF the entrance to Med 1 |
Dates 1st Tuesday of each month 0830 – 1000 |
Location
St Michael’s Hospital Trelissick Road Hayle TR27 4JA Go to X-Ray Department |
Dates 1st Tuesday of each month 1100 – 1200 |
Location
Liskeard Community Hospital Clemo Road Liskeard PL14 3XA Go to Outpatients Reception |
Dates 3rd Tuesday of each month 1030 – 1130 |
Location
St Austell Community Hospital Porthpean Road St Austell PL26 6AA Go to Outpatients Reception |
Dates 3rd Tuesday of each month 1400 – 1500 |
Location
Occupational Health Department Camborne-Redruth Community Hospital Barncoose Terrace Redruth TR15 3ER |
Dates Every Friday 0800 – 1000 |
Useful policies and forms
Occupational Health Forms
- CHA68R: Pre-Placement Declaration Of Health Form
- Eye Test Voucher Request Form
- Occupational health night workers questionnaire
Occupational Health Policies
- Policy for the Management of Needlestick Injuries & Body Fluid Exposure Incidents
- Sharps Safety Policy
- Prevention and Management of Dermatitis, Latex Allergy and MRSA Skin Colonisation In Healthcare Workers
- Staff Screening and Immunisation Policy
- Policy for Surveillance and Reporting of Infectious Disease, Healthcare Associated Infection and Antibiotic Resistant Organisms
- Health Surveillance Policy
- Operational Health and Safety Policy on Display Screen Equipment
- Attendance Management Policy and Procedure (formerly Sickness Management Policy)
- Moving And Handling Policy
- Lifting Equipment and Lifting Operations Health & Safety Policy (HSP15)
- Operational health and safety policy on the reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences (RIDDOR) (HSP05)
- Risk Assessment and Management Strategy and Policy
Frequently asked questions
If I have diarrhoea and/or vomiting can I come to work?
No – the Trust’s policy is that anyone who has experienced these symptoms has to be free of them a minimum of 48 hours before they can return to work.
What if I think this is not due to a bug. Can I return to work earlier?
No – we have to assume that the primary cause may be infectious and the Trust’s policy would still apply.
How do I/we refer into the Occupational Health service?
Please complete and send us a self-referral form or a manager can refer you to the service.
I have been told that I need a phased return to work. How does that work?
You need to speak to your manager in the first instance and if they require some advice from OH they can contact us on your behalf.
How do we get vaccinations?
We offer a number of drop-in clinics across the Trust/County. Details of these can be found above, under the heading ‘Satellite clinics’.
How do I obtain a VDU eye voucher?
Complete the form which is available above, under the heading ‘Occupational health forms’.
If I receive a contact letter from you why do you want to see/or speak to me?
This is because we may require additional information about a health condition you may have declared on your pre-placement form.
I can’t get to see my G.P. Can I come and see you?
We cannot offer GP services through OH, so you will need to go through your own GP practice.
I have got red and sore hands, what should I do?
Report this to your Manager immediately and either they will refer you to us or you can complete a self-referral form. An appointment will be made for one of the nurses to perform an assessment of your condition.
How do I report a needlestick injury or an exposure to body fluid incident?
Contact the needlestick pager via the switchboard. During OH opening hours you will speak to one of our clinicians. Out of hours and ED clinician will speak to you. Please see the advice on our Needlestick/Body Fluid incident page.
When can I speak to an OH nurse?
You can speak to an OH nurse on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 1230 and 1600, Tuesday and Thursday between 0830 and 1200. Our direct telephone number is: 01872 252773.
Computer use:
Does working with a computer cause aches and pains?
Some computer users may experience intermittent aches and pains in their hands, wrists, arms, neck, shoulders or back (i.e. to their musculoskeletal system), especially after long periods of uninterrupted computer work.
If this happens, and you are unable to rectify the problem by adjusting your workstation set up, you should alert your line manager. Usually these aches and pains do not last, but in a few cases they may become more persistent, therefore don’t ignore them. Most problems of this nature can be prevented by good workplace design and good working practices.
Am I at risk?
Problems do not arise directly from the computers themselves, but from the way in which they are used. The problems can be avoided altogether by good workplace and job design and by the way you use your equipment and workstation.
Can work with computers affect eyesight?
There are no indications, from extensive research, that computers will cause disease or permanent damage to eyes. But the fatigue of intensive computer work can cause discomfort, even to healthy eyes. Because it gives your eyes more demanding tasks, it might also make you aware of an eye problem that you did not know about before. It doesn’t help your eyes if the computer is badly positioned, or if the workplace is poorly lit. Drifting or flickering images can be very tiring and must be corrected.
Can computers cause headaches?
Yes, headaches can result from many factors associated with computer work. For example, stress from the pace of work, anxiety and tension, the need for new glasses or a change of lenses, poor image quality, glare from the screen, poor posture, or a combination of these.
If you are experiencing headaches, you should check your workstation set up and consider the amount of time you are spending on your computer without breaks. If you are unable to find the problem causing you headaches and you feel they are work related, we suggest you contact your DSE assessor initially or OH Department.
How long should I work with a computer?
This depends entirely on the type of work you are doing. You certainly should not work for more than one hour at a stretch without a change to some other activity, and taking a short posture break.
What should I do if I have any problems?
If you have problems you think might be connected with your computer work you should talk to your manager or departmental DSE assessor. The Occupational Health Service can advise on problems that cannot be sorted out within the Service.
Useful websites
General health advice, support and signposting in Cornwall
- Ask PHIL
- Cornwall Active Travel
- Living Streets
- Sustrans Active Travel Toolkit
- Mental wellbeing
- Outlook South West – courses and support for mental wellbeing and resilience in Cornwall
- Mindfulness Cornwall – courses on mindfulness
- i-resilience tool – free tool to check how resilient you are
- NHS Talking Therapies (Previously IAPT)
- Mind
- Mindful Employer
- Time for Change
- The Mental Health Foundation
- Relate
- Samaritans
- International Stress Management Association (ISMA)
Musculoskeletal conditions and back pain
Help to stop smoking
Help with alcohol and substance misuse
Being physically active
- National Walking the Way to Health
- Walking Works
- SofaDodger – find an activity near you
- Find a Sport Buddy
- Blue Gym
- Sport and public services of Cornwall College
- Tempus Leisure – Cornwall leisure and community activity providers
Healthier eating and weight - Cornwall Healthy Weight
- Eatwell
- Change for Life
- WeightWatchers
- Slimming World
Men’s Health
Women’s Health
Working with cancer
Skin Cancer Prevention
Cancer Awareness Spot Cancer Early
Looking after your heart
- British Heart Foundation (BHF)
- NHS Choices – How to look after your heart
- Heart age tool – check your heart age
Other long term conditions
Page last reviewed: 20 May 2024