General Practitioners (GPs)

As a GP you may have a number of responsibilities involving occupational health issues. This could be because a patient has a health issue caused or made worse by work, you are an appointed doctor and/or you provide occupational health advice for an organisation The information in these pages will be of benefit to you.

Health issues

There are a range of medical conditions that can be contracted at work or indeed aggravated by the type of work an employee carries out. As a GP you should be aware of what to do in such circumstances.

As a GP you may encounter patients who have become ill as a result of the work they are involved in. You should note that it is a legal requirement for employers to notify HSENI of any instances of disease or accident caused by work. This is generally known as RIDDOR.

Appointed doctors

Statutory medicals are required for employees who work with licensed asbestos, lead, ionising radiations, COSHH and compressed air.  These statutory medicals should be carried out by a doctor appointed by HSENI.

• Appointed doctors page

Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) 

The Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) is a statutory advisory body within HSENI. A leaflet providing information on EMAS and its role is available from the following link: 

Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS)

Contact information for EMAS is as follows:

83 Ladas Drive
Belfast
BT6 9FR

Email: emasmail@hseni.gov.uk

Resources

• Medical Surveillance for Workers Carrying out Non-Licensable Work with Asbestos - Guidance

 Key legislation

• Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 - legislation.gov.uk
• The Access to Personal Files and Medical Reports (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 - legislation.gov.uk
• Disability Discrimination Act 2005 - legislation.gov.uk

Please note that these links are to the original legislation, visitors should verify for themselves whether legislation is in force or whether it has been amended or repealed by subsequent legislation.